Winterbottom 2024's biggest mover
Supercars
05 May
Mark Winterbottom the biggest mover after three rounds
Team 18 veteran has gained 45 places in eight races
Percat, Evans, Heimgartner, Davison, Stanaway all clearing 20
Mark Winterbottom has shown no signs of slowing down, with the Team 18 veteran gaining the most positions in races so far this Supercars season.
Winterbottom has a net improvement of 45 places between where he has started and finished each of this year's eight races, at an average gain of 5.6 spots.
Nick Percat is the next best on 35, ahead of rookie Jaxon Evans on 28. Meanwhile, Chaz Mostert – third in the championship – is towards the bottom of the order having lost 26 places.
These numbers take drivers' grid and finishing positions for each race, and form an overall tally based on whether they have gone forwards or backwards, with DNF and DNSs overlooked.
Qualifying has so far proven Winterbottom's Achilles' heel, with 'Frosty' breaking into the top 10 just once, when he started fourth and finished second in Melbourne.
Winterbottom has an average starting position of 17.25. However, the 2015 champion has finished above where he started in seven of the eight races, and has gained seven or more positions in a race on five occasions.
The 2013 Bathurst winner was the biggest mover at the first two rounds, moving forward a combined 14 positions in the two Bathurst races, and 25 spots across the four Albert Park sprints.
Winterbottom may be 14th in the points, but is one of 12 drivers from fourth to 15th in a 99-point spread.
At the other end of the scale, Mostert's tally has been impacted by a drop from ninth to 17th in Melbourne due to damage, and from seventh to 22nd after losing a wheel in Taupō.
Thomas Randle was stung by three consecutive drops in Melbourne, from 12th to 22nd, 12th to 23rd, and 10th to 22nd. The Tickford Racing driver has lost 33 positions, but did race from seventh to fourth in Bathurst, and 12th to fourth in the Grand Prix finale.
Andre Heimgartner, Will Davison and Richie Stanaway have all cleared 20, while seven of the top 10 drivers in the championship have a positive number.
That includes points leader Will Brown, who has a net of 12 places gained.
The 2024 Repco Supercars Championship will resume at the Bosch Power Tools Perth SuperSprint on May 17-19. Tickets are on sale now.
Biggest movers in 2024 (Correct to Race 8, ITM Taupō Super400)
Driver | Gain/Loss |
|---|---|
Mark Winterbottom | 45 |
Nick Percat | 35 |
Jaxon Evans | 28 |
Andre Heimgartner | 27 |
Will Davison | 26 |
Richie Stanaway | 24 |
James Golding | 18 |
Aaron Love | 18 |
James Courtney | 17 |
Will Brown | 12 |
David Reynolds | 12 |
Todd Hazelwood* | 10 |
Jack Le Brocq | 7 |
Macauley Jones | 4 |
Ryan Wood | 3 |
Tim Slade | 3 |
Broc Feeney | -4 |
Matt Payne | -7 |
Bryce Fullwood | -8 |
Cam Waters | -8 |
Brodie Kostecki** | -8 |
Cameron Hill | -18 |
Anton De Pasquale | -19 |
Chaz Mostert | -26 |
Thomas Randle | -33 |
*Raced at Round 1 and Round 2
**Raced at Round 3
