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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.
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