Stat Attack: BTCC at half time
The British Touring Car Championship season resumes this weekend at Snetterton, with Sam Tordoff looking to maintain his position as the championship leader after an impressive start to 2016.
It’s no surprise then that Tordoff features in our mid-season stats round-up but, as ever, there are some shocks amongst the statistics that have been thrown up so far…
QUALIFYING:
Three different drivers have taken pole position so far this season – Tom Ingram (2), Colin Turkington (2) and Ash Sutton.
At this stage last season, five drivers had taken a single pole apiece – Andy Priaulx, Colin Turkington, Aron Smith, Jason Plato and Sam Tordoff.
Ash Sutton has the best qualifying average so far this season of 4.2, compared to 3.8 for Gordon Shedden at this stage twelve months ago.
Ash Sutton is the only driver to have qualified inside the top ten for every event so far this season. Gordon Shedden and Colin Turkington had achieved the feat this time last season.
RACE LAPS:
Drivers have done battle over five fewer laps at this stage of the season than they had in 2015 (263-268)
There has been a noticeably lower number of laps added on so far this season – only five compared to ten last year. It should be noted however that that figure is affected by the shortening of the races at Thruxton.
Sam Tordoff is the only driver at the half way stage to have completed every racing lap. Last year, Adam Morgan and Colin Turkington had a 100% record at the same point.
Eight races have run beyond their planned number of laps this season compared to four at this point in 2015. However four races have ended early compared to just one last year.
The first 15 races of the year have seen drivers do battle across a total of 497.2 miles – 32.5 miles less than this stage last year.
RACE WINS/PODIUMS:
Ten drivers have won a race at the half way point of the season – Gordon Shedden, Colin Turkington, Matt Neal, Andrew Jordan, Mat Jacksom, Rob Collard, Sam Tordoff, Adam Morgan, Ash Sutton and Tom Ingram – whilst a further four – Jason Plato, Aron Smith, Jack Goff and Josh Cook – have finished on the podium.
Colin Turkington, Matt Neal, Mat Jackson, Rob Collard and Adam Morgan have the most wins with two, while Sam Tordoff has the most podium finishes with six.
At this stage last year, eight drivers had won a race – Adam Morgan, Andy Priaulx, Colin Turkington, Gordon Shedden, Jason Plato, Matt Neal, Rob Collard, and Sam Tordoff – while a further three – Andrew Jordan, Aron Smith and Jack Goff – had finished on the podium
Jason Plato had won the most races, with a total of four wins, while Gordon Shedden had the most podium visits with seven
Honda, BMR, Motorbase, WSR, WIX Racing, MG and Speedworks have all won races – only BMR, Honda, WIX Racing and WSR had done so at this stage last year
RACES LED:
Eleven drivers have led a lap so far this season, compared to ten at the same stage last year.
Sam Tordoff has led the most laps (45), well down on the 80 led by Jason Plato at the same point in 2015
Jason Plato is the only driver to have led a race without winning
Sam Tordoff, Adam Morgan, Mat Jackson, Colin Turkington and Matt Neal have led the most races (3), compared to Jason Plato (5) at the same point in 2015
Eight races have featured a single leader – one more than 2015
Seven teams have led a race this season – Honda, BMR, Motorbase, WSR, WIX Racing, MG and Speedworks – which is one more than last year
WSR have led the most laps this season (49) compared to the 98 led by BMR at the same point in 2015
Front wheel drive cars have led 164 laps this season – 62.4% of the total. That compares to 176 laps (65.7%) at the half way stage last year
POINTS:
Sam Tordoff leads the championship with 168 points, which would only have been good enough for fourth at this stage last year. Gordon Shedden (195), Jason Plato (185) and Matt Neal (173) had all scored more at the half way point of 2015.
The top six are covered by 45 points – compared to a spread of 39 at this time last year.
A total of 26 of the 33 drivers to have appeared this season have scored points (78.8%) compared to 24 out of 30 (80%) last year.
As was the case last year, no-one has scored points in every race this season.
Team JCT 600 with GardX leads the Teams Championship on 317 points – 62 fewer than BMR had at the same stage last year
As last year, only one team had yet to score – in this case, Maximum Motorsport
Andrew Jordan leads the Independents Championship on 215 points – ten down on Colin Turkington’s mark at the same point last year
All 21 eligible drivers have scored in the Independents Championship, compared to 91.7% a the same stage last year
Motorbase heads the Independents Team Trophy on 263 points – 28 less than BMR last year
