With two drop-weeks the Standings in the RSC only tell half the story. After five races, it’s time to try and gain some insights!
RSC 2022. How to get some knowledge on what’s going on throughout the field, who may well end up at the front and who is caught in a battle that might not be visible on first sight? Taking a look at Average Finishing Position and Average Points made for everyone doing at least 2 races in the first half of the season might help get us this insight.
Main takeaways? It’s still a very much mixed up field in overall Standings, and from top to bottom of the Championship we find drivers well capable of racing near the Podium or find their way deep into the Top 10.
What’s going on at the front?
| Avg Fin Position | Driver |
|---|---|
| 1,00 | John Mchutchison |
| 2,50 | Denis Kiriakopoulos |
| 2,67 | Ola Braaten |
| 3,67 | Paul Crabb |
| 5,00 | Steffen Scheen |
| Avg Points | Driver |
|---|---|
| 55,00 | John Mchutchison |
| 47,75 | Denis Kiriakopoulos |
| 45,67 | Ola Braaten |
| 42,33 | Paul Crabb |
| 39,67 | Steffen Scheen |
Championship Leader Denis Kiriakopoulos is put back to P2 in regard of Average Finishing Position as well as on Average Points by John Mchutchison (Team Radline). Then why is McHutchison not in the lead in the Championship? The Scott missed three races already, and hence is not only down in points to Kiriakopoulos, but already exceeded the drop-weeks. That said, Hutch won’t be able to take the crown on his own as long as the Swiss can keep up his performance during the rest of the season.
Who could take away some crucial points from Denis? Ola Braaten (Team SloWmo) won’t be able to get on track during the next couple of races. So Hutch’s hope has to be on his Radline teammate Paul Crabb to fight off Kiriakopoulos like he did at MoSport, a highly motivated Steffen Scheen (Team Vikings) is always in reach of the top position, and more of those epic battles between Crabb, Busson and Kiriakopoulos might become crucial in the fight for the Championship.
Is there an upper midfield?
| Avg Fin Position | Driver |
|---|---|
| 6,67 | Alfons Ruiz |
| 6,80 | Marco Tolman |
| 8,25 | Ray Peasley |
| 8,33 | Nihad Gluscic |
| 9,00 | Paul Velasco |
| 9,75 | Erik Hanoy |
| 10,50 | David Walters |
| 11,20 | Piotr Misiorek |
| Avg Points | Driver |
|---|---|
| 33,67 | Alfons Ruiz |
| 33,20 | Marco Tolman |
| 31,33 | Nihad Gluscic |
| 30,25 | Ray Peasley |
| 29,00 | Paul Velasco |
| 26,75 | Erik Hanoy |
| 24,50 | David Walters |
| 22,40 | Piotr Misiorek |
That’s the place where it begins to be insanely close in regard of numbers. Alfons Ruiz (HRT) just finishing 0,13 Positions better on average than Marco Tolman. But Ruiz already made use of his two drop-weeks, and Tolman’s P15 at Zolder might well fall out of the final Standings.
Peasley (HRT) and Gluscic (Ma Dai) is where we begin to see effects of the points-system for the first time. Peasley finishing better than Gluscic in average, but falling behind him on average points, due to more points for Incidents on the side of the reigning Champion.
Then comes Paul Velasco, who beside the last race at the Red Bull Ring managed to finish every race within the Top 10. That could well be decisive in the long run, as Gluscic already used both drop-weeks and will have his P12 at Zolder stick with him in the final standings.
And now we wonder, who spoke that curse on Erik Hanoy and what happened to David Walters? Beside a 4th place at Mosport, Hanoy got caught in trouble in every race and to finish outside the Top 10. Having already used one drop-week means there is still room for him to go upwards in the Standings, but he won’t get rid of his tough first half of the season anymore. Walters made it to Pole-Position everytime he went on track – but a brave ride at Spa saw him cross the finish line in P18. With three races missed, Walters might be someone Hutch could hope for in the race for the Championship.
Piotr Misiorek made it to P5 in race 1, made it to P5 in race 2, made it to P5 in race 3. And then we find him at the back of the field in P19 and P22. But having been on track for each and every race, his none P5 finishes might well drop-out until the end of the season and chances are high we will see Misiorek climbing up the field with the season finale coming closer.
Still in reach of the Top?
It’s really close throughout this group, and we might find many in here to be further up at the end of the season. But that’s what we got so far.
| Avg Fin Position | Driver |
|---|---|
| 12,00 | Glenn-Andre Kristiansen |
| 12,33 | Sandro Kapeller |
| 12,50 | Mike Busson |
| 13,00 | Joost Simkens |
| 13,25 | Marin Grgic |
| 14,00 | Myles Owens |
| 14,00 | Nathan Willoughby |
| 14,25 | Mark J Edmonds |
| 14,50 | Robert Williams |
| 14,60 | Alexander Roggenbuck |
| 14,80 | David Rolleston |
| Avg Points | Driver |
|---|---|
| 25,00 | Mike Busson |
| 20,50 | Glenn-Andre Kristiansen |
| 20,33 | Sandro Kapeller |
| 18,00 | Joost Simkens |
| 17,00 | Robert Williams |
| 16,80 | Alexander Roggenbuck |
| 16,25 | Marin Grgic |
| 15,25 | Mark J Edmonds |
| 15,00 | Nathan Willoughby |
| 14,00 | Myles Owens |
| 13,60 | David Rolleston |
Kristiansen (Team SloWmo) joined the Championship late, and has missed three races already, while we saw him finish in P12 both at Mosport and Red Bull Ring. Sandro Kapeller (Essential Racing Team) made it into the Top 10 once, but already used both of his drop-weeks.
And then we wonder again. We saw Mike Busson battle it out with Crabb and Kiriakopoulos fiercly at Mosport! But while his parade lap at the Red Bull Ring made him a star, it also added a P23 to his results and he has missed three races. So we can well look forward to him fighting for victories and giving the guys battling for the Championship a hard time during the next 5 races.
Racing Team Den Kaap’s drivers Joost Simkens and Marin Grgic seem to be in a tight battle. Grgic racing to P6 and P7 in the first two races, and Simkens making it to P5 at the Red Bull Ring after a troublesome start into the season.
The two are followed closely by Myles Owens (Platinum Racing Team), Nathan Willoughby, Mark J Edmonds, Robert Williams, Alexander Roggenbuck and David Rolleston (Moving Matters). Owens made it to P10 at the Red Bull Ring, Willoughby to P8 at Mosport, Williams got into the all important Top 15 in both of his races, and Rolleston has a P9 and P10 in his data – while also battling for P8 against Velasco at Zolder.
And then there’s Alexander Roggenbuck, twice P13, once P14 and a mighty power on clean driving. 19 Points for Incidents make him the current leader in this regard and put him upwards in the Standings significantly.
Gardner, Spoek, Brown, Gee and Wilkinson
In his three races, Kent Gardner made it to P15 once, but two P16 made him just a position shy of the important step in points. Maarten Spoek (Gen X) made it to P7 in the season opener at Spa, but couldn’t keep up with this performance in the following two races. With a best Qualifying result of P5 Stuart Brown never qualified outside of the Top 10, but didn’t manage to translate his place on the grid in an according result so far. Damian Gee (BSR) made it to the P9 at Watkins Glen, but retired his car twice. David Wilkinson made it into the Top 15 twice, and has still left two-drop weeks to make up his two retirees at Zolder and Mosport.
In the end
The guys in fight for the Championship seem to be set. But they will have to fight heavily with drivers further down in Standings, who can make reasonable claims for race-victories and podiums.
Behind that fight for the crown, we see close battles where consistency will be key and many could shake up everything when translating the potential they already showed in to results again.