Top 10: Ranking the greatest BTCC drivers not to be champion

Across the lengthy history of the British Touring Car Championship, several drivers can lay claim to being unfairly rewarded by its long-since abandoned scoring system. That meant overall victories didn't always guarantee the ultimate prize, and title battles could be fought across classes between drivers that weren't racing each other. But which were the best of the drivers not to lay their hands on the outright title?

The British Touring Car Championship has been one of the most competitive and popular series in the UK since it began in 1958.

In the six decades since, many fine drivers have appeared – and won – in the championship. And, as part of our series of BTCC Top 10s, we’ve put together a list of the greatest BTCC racers who never quite managed to win the outright crown.

Top 10: Ranking the greatest BTCC cars

For this ranking, we’ve looked at the amount of success the drivers had in the BTCC, how close they got to the crown, the nature of their defeats, and other factors such as their impact and how they stacked up to their team-mates.

We’ve placed an emphasis on outright success, but class titles have been considered.

As ever, some strong contenders missed out. Honourable mentions go to double Formula 1 world champion Graham Hill and Mike Parkes, who both starred in the early days of the series aboard the pacesetting Jaguars, and spectacular Mini ace John Rhodes, who was a major title threat throughout the second half of the 1960s.

We’ve also excluded those still active in the BTCC. Jake Hill and Josh Cook will surely get their chance at some point…

10. Jeff Allam

Source: Autosport