Photo: PSP Images

Stat Attack: BTCC Rounds 19-21, Knockhill

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The fight for honours in the British Touring Car Championship continues this weekend at Rockingham with round eight of the year.

Ahead of the first of back-to-back meetings in Northamptonshire, it’s time to take a quick look at the stats from round seven at Knockhill to see what they threw up…

Qualifying:

• Jason Plato secured his first pole position of the season, making him the fifth driver this year to qualify at the front of the field.

• Plato has now secured at least one pole position in each of the last nine seasons.

• A front row start for Tom Ingram allowed him to retain his position as best qualifier.

• Ash Sutton failed to qualify inside the top ten for the first time this season – meaning no driver now has a 100 per cent top ten qualifying record.

• Rob Austin gave Handy Motorsport a first top ten qualifying result.

• Plato, Jack Goff, Andrew Jordan and Austin took their best qualifying results of the season.

• Sutton, Aron Smith, Hunter Abbott, Dan Welch and Ollie Jackson endured their worst qualifying results of the year.

Races:

• Jason Plato became the eleventh different winner this season with a 95th career win in his 500th race.

• Plato secured victory in rear-wheel drive for the first time in his BTCC career – and the first time since his title winning Renault Spider campaign back in 1996.

• Two additional podiums finishes took Plato to 60 in an NGTC car – the second person to reach the mark after Gordon Shedden.

• Plato became the second drive this season to lead 50 laps.

• Plato now has eight podium finishes this season, level with championship leader Sam Tordoff.

• Mat Jackson became the first four time winner this season and also moved onto eight Independents’ wins – again more than anyone else.

• Jackson has now led 78 laps, almost 20 per cent of the total laps run this season.

• Matt Neal joined Colin Turkington on three wins.

• Sam Tordoff moved onto 25 podiums and surpassed the 1,000 point mark in his BTCC career

• Tordoff has now scored more podium finishes this season than in any season previously.

• Dave Newsham secured an Independents’ podium finish on his return to the championship; the first time he has competed for the same team in a second season in the BTCC.