2006 CCWS Driver Rankings

All about the Champ Car World Series (CCWS)

Moderators: Ed, mlittle

mlittle
Forum Hall of Fame
Forum Hall of Fame
Posts: 11205
Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2005 12:51 pm
Location: At the F1 Idiots Bar.............where else?
Contact:

Driver Rankings at season's end.........

Post by mlittle » Thu Nov 16, 2006 10:14 am

With the 2006 ChampCar season now officially doen and over with, here are the latest driver rankings...............

1st}Sebastien Bourdais.........................120 pts(nc)
2nd}Justin Wilson...................................94 pts(nc)
3rd}A.J. Allmendinger.............................85 pts(nc)
4th}Paul Tracy.......................................64 pts(nc)
5th}Bruno Junquiera...............................56 pts(nc)
6th}Nelson Phillipe..................................54 pts(+1)
t-7th}[7]Oriol Servia...............................48 pts(-1)
t-7th}[8]Alex Tagliani..............................48 pts(+1)
9th}Mario Dominguez..............................46 pts(-1)
10th}Andrew Ranger...............................38 pts(nr)

In: n/a
Out: Clarke, Power
The Sci-Fi Station Come by and visit when you get the chance. :)
The Wayward Tarheel I'm even in the blogosphere.... :shock:

cmlean
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 3217
Joined: Thu Feb 10, 2005 9:19 am
Location: Upside of Down Under
Contact:

Post by cmlean » Thu Nov 16, 2006 3:27 pm

So... How does this ranking system work??

mlittle
Forum Hall of Fame
Forum Hall of Fame
Posts: 11205
Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2005 12:51 pm
Location: At the F1 Idiots Bar.............where else?
Contact:

Post by mlittle » Thu Nov 16, 2006 6:51 pm

cmlean wrote:So... How does this ranking system work??
Good question. At the beginning of the season I looked at the previous year's data(races won, pole positions, laps led, podiums, no. of races led, no. of laps led, etc) and set up the first set of rankings(prior to Long Beach).

The rankings system goes from 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 each round; mid-season and full season performance is also factored in, as also whether a driver switches teams in mid-stream and so forth.

All-in-all, I just thought it would be an interesting way to judge how the season progressed(and it does give a nice contrast to the points standings).
The Sci-Fi Station Come by and visit when you get the chance. :)
The Wayward Tarheel I'm even in the blogosphere.... :shock:

cmlean
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 3217
Joined: Thu Feb 10, 2005 9:19 am
Location: Upside of Down Under
Contact:

Post by cmlean » Thu Nov 16, 2006 10:50 pm

I can understand Clarke dropping out of the 10 with a DNF early in the race even after a good qualifying effort but for Power to drop out of the 10 after qualifying 3rd(?) and finishing 3rd leaves me a little confused.

mlittle
Forum Hall of Fame
Forum Hall of Fame
Posts: 11205
Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2005 12:51 pm
Location: At the F1 Idiots Bar.............where else?
Contact:

Post by mlittle » Sat Nov 18, 2006 4:56 pm

Like I said, the driver rankings are supposed to be a cumulative reflection on the season as a whole, so I understand your confusion. I haven't posted a final set of rankings, though I suspect the top 4 or so positions are pretty much locked in(where to slot the others in will be the difficult task.......)

Hope that answered your question, cmlean. There's a drink at the bar with your name on it. :cheers:
The Sci-Fi Station Come by and visit when you get the chance. :)
The Wayward Tarheel I'm even in the blogosphere.... :shock:

cmlean
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 3217
Joined: Thu Feb 10, 2005 9:19 am
Location: Upside of Down Under
Contact:

Post by cmlean » Mon Nov 20, 2006 12:29 pm

Thanks mfer.
I have a slightly used dartboard that worked reasonably well in 8'n'pole. You could use that if you would like.

mlittle
Forum Hall of Fame
Forum Hall of Fame
Posts: 11205
Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2005 12:51 pm
Location: At the F1 Idiots Bar.............where else?
Contact:

FINAL ChampCar Driver Rankings(top-10 & others).........

Post by mlittle » Tue Nov 21, 2006 5:21 pm

Without further ado, here are the final top-10 and honorable mentions of this year's driver rankings..............

:1st: Sebastien Bourdais, Newman-Haas Racing(157 pts). In a season eeriely similar to those of recently retired Formula 1 great Michael Schumacher, the Le Mans, France native made almost literal mincemeat of the field this year; 7 wins(including the first 4 races to start the year), 7 poles, and led more than twice the number of laps his nearest competitor did. This was truly SeaBass's year to shine, and IMHO it is an absolute travesty that the powers that be in Formula 1 have given him short-shrift......well, their loss has definitely been NA's gain.

:2nd: Justin Wilson, RuSport Racing(132.5 pts). In the paddock, he's known as the gentlemen racer; while he and the other drivers toiled to compete w/Bourdais this year, nary a peep was heard from the lanky Brit. While he only could garner one win(Edmonton) in 2006, he was the best driver on the grid other than SeaBass; it just wasn't his year.

:3rd: A.J. Allmendinger, Forsythe Championship Racing(110 pts). Until his decision to leave for the shores of NASCAR, this kid was the feel-good story of 2006. I mean, think of it........fired from RuSport, proposes to his long-time girlfriend, then gets hired by FCR......and then reels off three consecutive wins to boot(eventually winning five races in 2006). His decision to leave is probably the worst story in ChampCar for 2006, and it underscores the need for a merger with the IRL.

4th. Nelson Phillipe, CTE-HVM Racing(80.5 pts). Now a two-time winner of the series' Most Improved Driver award, he has made it to the sharp end of the spear, so to speak. His win at Surfers Paradise proved just how much better of a driver he's become and IMO he is a championship contender for 2007.

5th. Bruno Junquiera(65 pts). Junquiera's season was, to paraphrase the famous quote, "ChampCar's version of an enigma wrapped in the puzzle of a mystery". Eclipsed by his teammate and barely visible for 2006, Junquiera had a lackluster year and will have to improve markedly if he wants to remain on the grid after 2007.

6th. Paul Tracy, Forsythe Championship Racing(64 pts). A year that started with two DNF's(courtesy of then-teammate Mario Dominguez) in the first four races went steadily south from then on. Completing only 814(out of 1251 total) laps and leading only 5 laps the entire year, this year was a complete write-off for "the Thrill from West Hill"; hopefully, 2007 will be far better.

7th. Mario Dominguez, Rocketsports Racing(63 pts). And I thought Allmendinger's season was interesting. Let's see; first Mario gets dropped from FCR, then goes to Dale Coyne and then heads to Rocketsports to round out the year. The highlight of the year for Dominguez was battling w/Phillipe at Surfers Paradise; next year should be better.

8th. Oriol Servia, PKV Racing(60 pts). Considering how Servia's season went, I'm starting to understand that phrase about being "a fly on the wall".....and that's about all anyone can, unfortunately, say about how he did in 2006.

9th. Will Power, Team Australia(57 pts). Making his debut last year, I thought to myself while watching last year's race at Surfers Paradise, "This kid's got a bright future in the sport....."....and for once, I was right. Winning the 2006 rookie honors was one major highlight for the Aussie native; the other.......winning both the provisional and final pole in front of the home audience back in October. Mark my words; this kid's a potential champion down the road.

10th. Andrew Ranger, MiJack-Conquest Racing(52 pts). Remember what I wrote about Servia? Change a few of the names around, and the same could apply to Ranger.

Okay.....now that the top-10 is set in stone, who gets the honorable mention for 2006?

While there were a couple of choices, it is my honest opinion that the honorable mention for 2006 goes to one of the other contenders for 2006 rookie honors......PKV Racing's Katherine Legge. When one looks back at the 2006 season, note this......for her somewhat lackluster performances this year, she took a page from a certain IndyCar Series driver....she held her own against some of the best drivers in the world. She led 12 laps at one of the toughest ovals in the world(at Milwaukee) and completed all but 94 laps this year(out of 1251 total). Indeed she completed more laps than did Sebastien Bourdais, Justin Wilson, Nelson Phillipe, A.J. Allmendinger and Paul Tracy, for starters(in fact, Legge, Zwolsman and Power[all rookies] completed more laps than the frontrunners this year......). One question going into 2006 was this....could she adapt to the tracks this year? I think she adapted well, all things considered, and with everyone on equal footing next year, she at least has a year's experience under her, which will help.

Anyway........Congratulations to all the drivers mentioned, and good luck in 2007! :clap: :clap: :clap: :burnout: :clap: :clap: :bounce: :bouncey: :bouncec: :bounceg: :bouncest: :clap: :clap: :clap: :burnout:
The Sci-Fi Station Come by and visit when you get the chance. :)
The Wayward Tarheel I'm even in the blogosphere.... :shock:

cmlean
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 3217
Joined: Thu Feb 10, 2005 9:19 am
Location: Upside of Down Under
Contact:

Re: FINAL ChampCar Driver Rankings(top-10 & others).....

Post by cmlean » Tue Nov 21, 2006 11:23 pm

mlittle wrote:Without further ado, here are the final top-10 and honorable mentions of this year's driver rankings..............

:1st: Sebastien Bourdais, Newman-Haas Racing(157 pts). In a season eeriely similar to those of recently retired Formula 1 great Michael Schumacher, the Le Mans, France native made almost literal mincemeat of the field this year; 7 wins(including the first 4 races to start the year), 7 poles, and led more than twice the number of laps his nearest competitor did. This was truly SeaBass's year to shine, and IMHO it is an absolute travesty that the powers that be in Formula 1 have given him short-shrift......well, their loss has definitely been NA's gain.

:2nd: Justin Wilson, RuSport Racing(132.5 pts). In the paddock, he's known as the gentlemen racer; while he and the other drivers toiled to compete w/Bourdais this year, nary a peep was heard from the lanky Brit. While he only could garner one win(Edmonton) in 2006, he was the best driver on the grid other than SeaBass; it just wasn't his year.

:3rd: A.J. Allmendinger, Forsythe Championship Racing(110 pts). Until his decision to leave for the shores of NASCAR, this kid was the feel-good story of 2006. I mean, think of it........fired from RuSport, proposes to his long-time girlfriend, then gets hired by FCR......and then reels off three consecutive wins to boot(eventually winning five races in 2006). His decision to leave is probably the worst story in ChampCar for 2006, and it underscores the need for a merger with the IRL.

4th. Nelson Phillipe, CTE-HVM Racing(80.5 pts). Now a two-time winner of the series' Most Improved Driver award, he has made it to the sharp end of the spear, so to speak. His win at Surfers Paradise proved just how much better of a driver he's become and IMO he is a championship contender for 2007.

5th. Bruno Junquiera(65 pts). Junquiera's season was, to paraphrase the famous quote, "ChampCar's version of an enigma wrapped in the puzzle of a mystery". Eclipsed by his teammate and barely visible for 2006, Junquiera had a lackluster year and will have to improve markedly if he wants to remain on the grid after 2007.

6th. Paul Tracy, Forsythe Championship Racing(64 pts). A year that started with two DNF's(courtesy of then-teammate Mario Dominguez) in the first four races went steadily south from then on. Completing only 814(out of 1251 total) laps and leading only 5 laps the entire year, this year was a complete write-off for "the Thrill from West Hill"; hopefully, 2007 will be far better.

7th. Mario Dominguez, Rocketsports Racing(63 pts). And I thought Allmendinger's season was interesting. Let's see; first Mario gets dropped from FCR, then goes to Dale Coyne and then heads to Rocketsports to round out the year. The highlight of the year for Dominguez was battling w/Phillipe at Surfers Paradise; next year should be better.

8th. Oriol Servia, PKV Racing(60 pts). Considering how Servia's season went, I'm starting to understand that phrase about being "a fly on the wall".....and that's about all anyone can, unfortunately, say about how he did in 2006.

9th. Will Power, Team Australia(57 pts). Making his debut last year, I thought to myself while watching last year's race at Surfers Paradise, "This kid's got a bright future in the sport....."....and for once, I was right. Winning the 2006 rookie honors was one major highlight for the Aussie native; the other.......winning both the provisional and final pole in front of the home audience back in October. Mark my words; this kid's a potential champion down the road.

10th. Andrew Ranger, MiJack-Conquest Racing(52 pts). Remember what I wrote about Servia? Change a few of the names around, and the same could apply to Ranger.

Okay.....now that the top-10 is set in stone, who gets the honorable mention for 2006?

While there were a couple of choices, it is my honest opinion that the honorable mention for 2006 goes to one of the other contenders for 2006 rookie honors......PKV Racing's Katherine Legge. When one looks back at the 2006 season, note this......for her somewhat lackluster performances this year, she took a page from a certain IndyCar Series driver....she held her own against some of the best drivers in the world. She led 12 laps at one of the toughest ovals in the world(at Milwaukee) and completed all but 94 laps this year(out of 1251 total). Indeed she completed more laps than did Sebastien Bourdais, Justin Wilson, Nelson Phillipe, A.J. Allmendinger and Paul Tracy, for starters(in fact, Legge, Zwolsman and Power[all rookies] completed more laps than the frontrunners this year......). One question going into 2006 was this....could she adapt to the tracks this year? I think she adapted well, all things considered, and with everyone on equal footing next year, she at least has a year's experience under her, which will help.

Anyway........Congratulations to all the drivers mentioned, and good luck in 2007! :clap: :clap: :clap: :burnout: :clap: :clap: :bounce: :bouncey: :bouncec: :bounceg: :bouncest: :clap: :clap: :clap: :burnout:
Well said mfer. A drink at the bar awaits for another fine report.

Snowy
F1 Race Winner
F1 Race Winner
Posts: 2094
Joined: Thu Feb 16, 2006 2:28 am
Location: location, location

Re: FINAL ChampCar Driver Rankings(top-10 & others).....

Post by Snowy » Wed Nov 22, 2006 12:21 am

mlittle wrote: Without further ado, here are the final top-10 and honorable mentions of this year's driver rankings..............

While there were a couple of choices, it is my honest opinion that the honorable mention for 2006 goes to one of the other contenders for 2006 rookie honors......PKV Racing's Katherine Legge. When one looks back at the 2006 season, note this......for her somewhat lackluster performances this year, she took a page from a certain IndyCar Series driver....she held her own against some of the best drivers in the world. She led 12 laps at one of the toughest ovals in the world(at Milwaukee) and completed all but 94 laps this year(out of 1251 total). Indeed she completed more laps than did Sebastien Bourdais, Justin Wilson, Nelson Phillipe, A.J. Allmendinger and Paul Tracy, for starters(in fact, Legge, Zwolsman and Power[all rookies] completed more laps than the frontrunners this year......). One question going into 2006 was this....could she adapt to the tracks this year? I think she adapted well, all things considered, and with everyone on equal footing next year, she at least has a year's experience under her, which will help.

Anyway........Congratulations to all the drivers mentioned, and good luck in 2007! :clap: :clap: :clap: :burnout: :clap: :clap: :bounce: :bouncey: :bouncec: :bounceg: :bouncest: :clap: :clap: :clap: :burnout:
Good calls mfer :P Particularly good to see your a Legge man. She's from Guildford which is about 20 miles up the road from me! :D So I'm kinda proud she's doing such a good job. That was a very scarey accident she had but she hopped straight back in the car and was quick if not quicker than before. :P
Lewis Hamilton & Jenson Button World Champions :)

Locked