Rob Huff to replace Tom Chilton at Vauxhall for Silverstone BTCC
Rob Huff will make his first British Touring Car Championship appearance for 13 years at Silverstone this weekend, replacing Tom Chilton at the Power Maxed Racing factory-backed Vauxhall outfit
Huff, the 2012 World Touring Car champion, will stand in for Chilton - who underwent an operation recently and was instructed not to race for four weeks - at the penultimate round of the season.
Saturday morning's first practice session will offer Huff his first opportunity to drive PMR's Vauxhall Astra, as the Briton will not shake down the car before the event on the National circuit.
"I'm delighted that Tom has entrusted me to look after his car while he is indisposed - although he will be at the event, no doubt offering me all kinds of engineering advice," Huff told Autosport.
"He will almost be like a back-seat driver.
"I've obviously followed the BTCC closely and I don't miss a race when I'm at home: quite often, I'm at the circuits.
"It'll be great to catch up with old friends; it's always a very welcoming place and I know lots of people there.
"It'll be like a homecoming."
The Silverstone event will mark Huff's first appearance in the BTCC since he drove for the SEAT Sport outfit in 2004, his reward for winning the SEAT Cupra Cup the previous year.
Huff finished his rookie BTCC campaign seventh in the points and scored two wins before moving to the WTCC the following season.
Vauxhall has returned to the BTCC this year, and Huff said he hoped his outing would help PMR to continue to develop its pair of Astras.
"Although the car is new to me, I'm not going to pass up any opportunities that come my way," added Huff, who will race alongside rookie Senna Proctor.
"The team has certainly taken strides with the car over recent rounds - in race pace definitely - and I'll be looking to build on that development.
"It'll be an exciting journey and if I'm able [to add] any input into that, then I'm happy to.
"The BTCC is such a competitive environment right now.
"Quite often, you have the top 20 drivers or so covered by only one second so you really have to be on it for qualifying which will be tough, but I'm very much up for the challenge."
Be part of the Autosport community
Join the conversationShare Or Save This Story
Motorbase signs Independents Trophy champion Butcher
BTCC 2020: Ollie Jackson to race newly built Motorbase Ford Focus RS
The final-race twist that capped a decade of BTCC drama
Tom Chilton joins Excelr8 Hyundai for 2022 BTCC
Chilton joins Ciceley BMW BTCC squad for 2021
Tom Chilton switches to BTC squad in latest Honda in BTCC
How a BTCC reunion yielded glory in Britain's 'other' tin-top series
Leading BTCC outfit BTC gets new name and expands into GT racing
The grassroots rise that shaped an understated BTCC star
Verstappen 'deserves' fourth in China F1 sprint qualifying with wet struggles
Why Norris' China F1 sprint pole lap was deleted and reinstated
Norris' F1 China sprint pole lap down to "all or nothing" approach
F1 team-mates' qualifying battles: Chinese GP
How Ingram is seeking to reclaim the BTCC crown from Sutton
The tin-top world champion seeking to tick a "missing box" in the BTCC
How a BTCC Alliance swept the field away in 2023
How a top-down overhaul formed the basis of Sutton's 2023 BTCC dominance
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments