Next BTCC champion

[S griffin]

Here's a question for you: who do you think is most likely to be the next 'new' BTCC champion?

Here are the four I believe are most likely to:

Aron Smith: Did a brilliant job in the VW, including showing a double champion the way. Has shown great maturity so far and as has been pointed out before Andrew Jordan scored a couple of reverse grid wins in 2010, like Smith did this year. Probably the one most likely to.

Sam Tordoff: Bad luck plagued him this year and also had to play a supporting role to Plato. Now will be free of that at WSR and Dick Bennetts has said he is like Colin was at this stage of his career. Potential is definitely there.

Mat Jackson: Has for many years showed potential, but never able to follow it up, until this year. Less inclined to get caught up in silly incidents, even has started qualifying well and like Smith beat his double champion team mate. At 33 he can still do it.

Adam Morgan: Every time he's lead he's made a mistake, but now that he has got that win, will that be a confidence boost for him? The way he pushed the Mercedes up to the front cannot be underestimated and only bad luck prevented more results. Has the potential too.

[Bramzel]

Tom Ingram?

[S griffin]

Oh yes Tom Ingram has the potential, but the four above are more likely IMHO to do it in the next few years. I'd give Tom a few more years before that.

[pinkd56]

Aron Smith for me.

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

Got to be Smith, although Tordoff is most likely given his equipment. Smith is the most exciting new talent the series has had for a long while. Outstanding in the wet and always performs in the dry, he just needs to avoid the odd incident and he'll be one of the best in the world one day (in touring cars!) My personal thoughts...

[pimmy]

Stick Mat Jackson in a slightly more competitive car than the Focus and he's your man.

[S griffin]

You know, I've just been thinking it's a shame TOC left, because he would no doubt be on my list too. Sadly doesn't look like he'll be back any time soon

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

Tbh TOC is enjoying his time in British GT and was one of the faster drivers, and he still has plenty to learn. Given time (that is, if given time!) there's no doubt he'll become a regular pacesetter in that discipline. But I digress...

[Thaw Daggerslash]

Frank Wrathall.

[S griffin]

You say that, but then Frank Wrathall probably had the potential too. Whether he'll be allowed back now is another matter.

[Craner Curves]

Tordoff.

Smith is too impetuous, Jackson is a poor qualifier and Morgan is a top 10 driver at best.

Tingram has potential, but needs the racecraft to back up the blistering qualifying pace.

[sceptic]

Priaulx.

[kurski]

Jack Clarke or James Cole

[kipper]

If Priaulx can get a full season together at some point, he has to be the most likely. I also suspect that he'll be keen to a BTCC title to his CV.

I think Ingram has tremendous potential; however, I think it'll be a while before he is in a title winning position.

[850Estate]

Sam Tordoff or Mat Jackson for me. Fancy them to have quite a bit of success this year too...assuming Mat's drive is announced at Motorbase!

[S griffin]

So there you go. Who'd have thought when I started this thread the answer would be someone who hadn't even started his first Clio Cup race at the time?

Tordoff came oh so close last season, but just couldn't beat Flash. Taylor-Smith hasn't quite lived up to his potential. Jackson if only he had done a full season in 2015 and 2016 he came close too. Morgan for various reasons never has quite put a consistent season together. Priaulx had too much bad luck in his return in 2015. Tingram looked like it would be him earlier in the season, but mid season bad luck derailed his season, although he was still good enough for third. Maybe next season

[Londoner]

I think Mat Jackson needs a better team than Motorbase if he's going to challenge, they're probably the most inconsistent outfit in the paddock. I rewatched the 2011 season recently, it was soul-destroying seeing him lose the title in the second half of the year.

[crmalcolm]

Bringing back the question - Sutton was the answer when posed in 2014.
Who do we think it might be if the question was asked again today?

Will it be a Jack Sears graduate?
Senna Proctor,
Dan Cammish,
Rory Butcher,
Michael Crees.

Independents?
Tom Ingram,
Rory Butcher.

Butcher would seem the obvious candidate having taken Jack Sears and Independents honours, although my money would be on a Dan from Team Dynamics (either Cammish or Rowbottom).

[S griffin]

Don't forget Jake Hill, he's really come of age the last couple of years

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Don't forget Jake Hill, he's really come of age the last couple of years

I would agree that he is a contender, however I usually see drivers compete for (and win) another supporting title before they have the psychological acumen to take the main title.

Shedden is the exception to this rule, although he did have a Ford Fiesta Championship title to his name before entering BTCC.

Hill might surprise me, but I think Ingram has shown how hard it is to break the barrier in the main championship.

[Matt K]

If I had to pick a few names, I'd say Ingram, Butcher and Hill are the ones who can be future BTCC champions although somehow I feel Butcher and Hill as less likely. Also, I wouldn't call Rowbottom and Cammish as future champions - as for the latter we don't even know if he ever returns to the BTCC.

[BTCC frog]

I would say that the best non-champion in the BTCC at the moment is Tom Ingram, so he would definitely be a strong pick for the next champion. But he has been there or thereabouts for a long time now, and I'm not sure he'll necessarily ever drive the best car, and therefore I think he may always be the BTCC's nearly man. I think the second-best non-champion at the moment is Dan Cammish, who obviously isn't racing in the BTCC at the moment but looks likely to return soon. Cammish came agonizingly close to a first title in 2019 and was also close in 2020, so if he can get back in a good car, and I believe Team Dynamics would be able to provide a potential title winner for him if he returned there, I think he has a good chance of a championship in the near future. Despite not even racing at the moment, Cammish would be my pick as the next champion, as I think he is more likely to be in a better car than Ingram very soon, although Excelr8 have improved exponentially in their three seasons (admittedly, so have their driver lineups) so Ingram comes a close second in my picks. As for the rest, Rory Butcher and Josh Cook stand out as two very good drivers who could challenge for a championship, but I think they may always be Mat Jacksons as drivers who come fairly close but are never really title challengers. Of the two, I think Cook is the better driver at the moment, but Butcher is more likely to win a championship in the future. I think Jake Hill also deserves a mention as I think he will be second in the championship this year and is one of the best on the grid, but I don't see him winning one in the near future, unless he gets very lucky. Dan Rowbottom has had a very impressive second season in the BTCC and so could challenge for the title soon, so he would be another name I would throw in the hat. If it's none of those six, it will probably be someone who hasn't yet raced in the BTCC, as I don't see any other potential champions on the grid. But Dan Cammish is my pick.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

Hill might surprise me, but I think Ingram has shown how hard it is to break the barrier in the main championship.

So - I think Hill is more likely to take a title in the future than I thought he was when I posted this.

To recap from when the question was first asked:

The OP was 19 Dec 14, and the list of names people put forward included-
Sam Tordoff x4
Árón Taylor-Smith x3
Mat Jackson x3
Tom Ingram x2
Frank Wrathall
Andy Priaulx
Jack Clarke
James Cole
Adam Morgan

Then in 2017, the answer was Sutton.

From the nominations at the time, Ingram looks the most likely (based on current machinery) followed by Morgan and then ATS.

Has Hill emerged as the new contender for next 'new' BTCC champion?

[Pickles]

Definitely. As soon as I heard he was in a BMW for this year I was excited to see him go up against Turkington in equal machinery and I wasn't disappointed.

[Matt K]

If Hill keeps similar speed as shown at Donington (and avoids encounters like the one with Turkington) he can become a champion this year, I'm pretty sure about that. Competition is of course very tough but Jake showed last weekend he's capable of winning the title.