2014 V8SC Qualifying Grid

[Terry S]

I have crunched the numbers from the qualifying sessions for the 25 races to date for the V8's, and come up with the grid below based on average YTD qualifying positions:

1 McLaughlin
2 Lowndes
3 Whincup
4 Winterbottom
5 Van Gisbergen
6 Courtney
7 Coulthard
8 Mostert
9 Bright
10 Slade
11 Davison
12 Tander
13 Reynolds
14 Holdsworth
15 Percat
16 Caruso
17 R Kelly
18 Pye
19 Moffat
20 T Kelly
21 Ingall
22 Wall
23 Wood
24 Dahlgren
25 Perkins

Some quick observations:
- What a magnificent job McLaughlin and Garry Rogers have done in their first
Volvo year
- First Ford is 4th
- First Mercedes is 11th
- First Nissan is way back in 16th
- Van Gisbergen is faster than HDT
- Mostert in 8th is fastest of new boys, and much better than experienced “team
mate”Reynolds
- Courtney and Slade better than Tander, who I thought was supposed to be
team leader
- Percat doing very well at 15th for first year
- Caruso fastest of the Nissans. He is being wasted there.
- The last five are predictable. Why not cut grids to 20?

For discussion

[Mixer]

Originally Posted by Terry S

- The last five are predictable. Why not cut grids to 20?

Haha, watch it, half the people here seem to want another 15 wobbling around the back doing 2 fifths of **** all.

[RedZedMikey]

Originally Posted by Terry S

Why not cut grids to 20?

I like your work ... to answer your question: Because I like larger grids. Anyway, the Dahlgren spot should not be cut - if his car is equal, put in a driver with more local track + V8SC/DVS experience, and it would move up the order.
For me, part of the interest in any motorsport is what the back markers do. Will they improve? Will they climb the pecking order? Sure, there is more interest in podium and top 10, but don't deny the other entrants.

Would you also want to lop the F1 grid by 4, and without analysing it, I reckon the 43 strong NASCAR grid would also show a similar result.

[Umai Naa]

Personally, we still need more cars, not less.

I'm talking at lest 30.

[Mixer]

Originally Posted by Umai Naa

Personally, we still need more cars, not less.

I'm talking at lest 30.

well off you go then, you could be the next Betty Klimenko... I believe if it were commercially suitable we would not have had RECs handed in last year.

[RedZedMikey]

Originally Posted by Mixer

I believe if it were commercially suitable we would not have had RECs handed in last year.

There is a big difference between 3 RECs being handed back because it wasn't commercially suitable for their owners to continue, and the original poster's proposition that the grid be cut by 5 because of low results or performance. If those teams, and any others that may join, are willing and able to continue, then they should be allowed to do so.

[Mixer]

Originally Posted by RedZedMikey

There is a big difference between 3 RECs being handed back because it wasn't commercially suitable for their owners to continue, and the original poster's proposition that the grid be cut by 5 because of low results or performance. If those teams, and any others that may join, are willing and able to continue, then they should be allowed to do so.

Of course, there's always going to be someone who is last.

But someone randomly saying there should be 5 other cars has to realise that somebody has to pay for it.

[Terry S]

It is disappointing that after all the number cruching to get the average grid, that the only thing commented on is a throw away line I added at the end about grid size.

[davester]

Biggest disappointment would be Tim Slade average qual in 10th, and sitting 20th in race points. McLaughlin next in average qual 1st, and race points in 7th.

Apart from that most have championship points within a reasonable range of their average qualifying position.

Sure there are plenty of ifs, what's, and maybe's, but results and points or winning Bathurst are what counts, along with not causing your owner too much crash damage.

[Mixer]

My apologies, Terry S, you put a lot of work into this and I do really appreciate it!

[leothedrummer]

Stats like this are always quite interesting. It's also good to compare the starting and finishing averages against each other.

http://racing-reference.info/yeardet/2014/V8

You can sort this table by clicking on the heading of each column. Well worth a look through to see how everyone is doing.