Chilton Claims Maiden BTCC Pole
Arena team's Tom Chilton claimed his first British Touring Car Championship pole position at Thruxton today, in his first event of the season
Twenty year old Chilton, who missed the first round at Donington Park three weeks ago, set the fastest time of qualifying for the first of three races tomorrow, with a time of one minute and 17.011 seconds.
"What a result," the young Briton said after the session. "I really didn't think I'd be this fast first time back. But this is a very ballsy circuit and I love driving on the edge.
But the Honda Civic driver downplayed his chances of winning tomorrow, stating: "Winning tomorrow will be tough because the high speeds take a lot out of the tyres over a race distance. The three races should be very exciting but also unpredictable."
Alongside Chilton, on the front row, will be former Champion Jason Plato in the SEAT, having set a time of 1:17.567 - half a second slower than Chilton.
Vauxhall rookie Colin Turkington will start third, having beaten fourth-placed Team Halfords' Dan Eaves by a mere one thousandth of a second.
Championship leaders Vauxhall's Yvan Muller and Team Halfords' Matt Neal, both carrying 'success ballast', were only fifth and sixth fastest respectively.
A disappointed Muller, who is the most successful BTCC driver around Thruxton in the past few years, said after qualifying: "Clearly there is a problem but we don't know what it is so fixing it for the races will be difficult. Obviously, the ballast we have doesn't help but we're still at a bit of a loss."
BTCC Round 2: Thruxton Qualifying Results
Pos Driver Team Laps Time 1. Tom Chilton Honda Civic Type-R 9 1:17.011 2. Jason Plato SEAT Toledo Cupra 11 1:17.567 + 0.556 3. Colin Turkington Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch 14 1:17.644 + 0.633 4. Dan Eaves Honda Integra 13 1:17.645 + 0.634 5. Yvan Muller Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch 15 1:17.812 + 0.801 6. Matt Neal Honda Integra 13 1:18.069 + 1.058 7. Gavin Smith Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch 14 1:18.294 + 1.283 8. Rob Collard MG ZS 10 1:18.376 + 1.365 9. James Pickford SEAT Toledo Cupra 16 1:18.520 + 1.509 10. Luke Hines SEAT Toledo Cupra 12 1:18.960 + 1.949 11. James Kaye Honda Civic Type-R 12 1:19.208 + 2.197
How the BTCC's new hybrid era aced its first test
Expectations were high for the start of the British Touring Car Championship’s hybrid power era, and despite nerves and problems to solve prior to its debut the new rules gained widespread approval. Here’s how the first test at Donington Park was passed and the thorough examinations that are to follow
The Ford BTCC superteam combining two reigning TOCA champions
Reigning BTCC champion Ash Sutton and Porsche Carrera Cup GB victor Dan Cammish form a potent line-up at the Motorbase-run NAPA Racing team as the series adopts hybrid power. With Sutton bringing the key components of his title-winning Laser Tools Racing set-up, and Cammish eager to prove a point on his return, their dynamic is set to be one of the season's major talking points
The stalwart tin-top boss still shaping careers more than 40 years on
Veteran team manager Marvin Humphries and former Tech-Speed team boss has worked not only with stars of the British Touring Car Championship, but legends including Gil de Ferran, Hans Stuck and Tom Sneva in a long and varied career that has spanned five decades across tin-tops, single-seaters and sportscars
The grassroots rise that shaped an understated BTCC star
Having started out in club-level competitions alongside his own university engineering studies, Josh Cook's journey to becoming an established frontrunner in the British Touring Car Championship is atypical. But it's these experiences that have moulded the 30-year-old into a humble star, respected throughout the paddock
Ranking the top 10 BTCC drivers of 2021
A refresh in equipment and some returning faces helped contribute to a supremely competitive 2021 British Touring Car Championship campaign. Ash Sutton was crowned a three-time champion, successfully defending his 2020 title, but faced stiff competition in the final year before the switch to hybrid. Autosport picks out the best performers
Why the BTCC's ballast increase couldn't stop champion Sutton
Ballast will be gone from the BTCC next year as hybrid power enters the scene, but for its final season the maximum was increased from 60kg to 75kg. Despite having to carry that nearly all season, Ash Sutton was always the favourite to pocket a third title - the 27-year-old getting his reward for a season of speed tempered by savvy to nail his opportunities
The much-loved tin-top superstar bowing out at 59
OPINION: It's not often that a driver achieves widespread affection for their personality, as well as their on-track performances. One such individual is Gabriele Tarquini, who will soon bring the curtain down on a remarkable career that has yielded touring car titles on the European and global stage - and, famously, in Britain too
The making of the BTCC's newest superstar
Ash Sutton is on the verge of being crowned a three-time British Touring Car Champion; he seems to have it all. But life hasn't always been straightforward for this superstar of touring cars, as Marcus Simmons has been finding out