I used to be by no means a small boy. I used to be Mr Spherical. I used to be large, so huge I couldn’t slot in a kart! Tillett, who made the seats, couldn’t make one large enough for me to slot in. So I began off drifting Ford Escort Mk2s at eight years outdated, and at that age we went with household mates to Manufacturers Hatch to look at the British Touring Automobile Championship. I completely beloved it.
We sat with a picnic blanket to the aspect of Druids the place you possibly can see the vehicles coming down by means of Paddock Hill. I keep in mind seeing somebody punt somebody off into the gravel and pondering, ‘That is good – there’s all the time crashing, it’s all the time thrilling to look at.’ At that age you get nervous even serious about driving a automotive like that – it’s effective going sideways in a area for a little bit of amusing, however I by no means thought I’d truly be racing in the most effective motorsport championship within the UK.
And right here I’m. I’ve been doing it for over twenty years, successfully a 3rd of the BTCC’s life. I’m a part of the furnishings. I’ve pushed a variety of the vehicles, a variety of the completely different rules. I really like the BTCC. It’s so ridiculously shut, and I really feel that now, with the rules, you’ve obtained to be in your A-game the entire time. You’ve obtained your youth pushing the outdated guys like me actually onerous.
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This yr, my third with Excelr8 Motorsport and their Hyundais, I’ve now obtained Barry Plowman engineering me, Matt Neal’s outdated engineer. We’re the oldest, most skilled pairing on the grid, in opposition to my team-mate Tom Ingram and his engineer Spencer Aldridge, who’re one of many youngest.
I really feel that as a staff now we’re so robust. It’s not simply the vehicles – the entire bundle concerned with the staff, all of the individuals who work on the PR and advertising, simply pushing each single avenue as onerous as attainable. If the sponsors are pleased, we will make the vehicles quicker and we’re pleased.
Barry ran me at Crew Dynamics in 2008, once I was team-mate to Gordon Shedden. I took Matt Neal’s seat and he took mine at Vauxhall. Barry’s actually calm. We have been testing this yr at Anglesey and Tom Ingram’s automotive had an issue with the power-steering rack – a mechanical challenge with an element on the rack, which was new – and Barry was the one one who knew precisely what had gone improper with it. He’s as outdated as a dinosaur, so he can virtually hear when it goes previous, ‘Oh that’s what’s improper with it’.
Chilton shall be reunited with engineer Plowman after a earlier stint at Crew Dynamics in 2008
Photograph by: JEP / Motorsport Images
As a lot as I labored with Barry many moons in the past, he’s modified a bit through the years and I’ve modified a bit, so we’re simply marrying up that connection once more and studying this automotive collectively, as a result of it’s clearly completely different to the Hondas he ran. Now we’ve modified bits in order that it’s what Barry thinks must be on the automotive, it’s completely different to the final two years, so we’re making an attempt to shuffle by means of issues to get the most effective out of the automotive and myself.
I spent 2012 to 2016 out of the BTCC and on this planet championship. I used to be unsure once they have been initially altering the rules to NGTC. The suspension was very unusual – it obtained softer and softer, and it didn’t appear to be a racecar to me.
I knew when it began off some vehicles could be quicker and a few slower, after which they’ve obtained to get the stability of efficiency proper, and I didn’t wish to get entangled within the politics of that, as a result of in case you have been on the improper finish of the stick you possibly can drive your coronary heart out and be final. So I obtained the sponsorship along with Aon, at first with the Ford after which with the Chevrolet alongside Yvan Muller, and it was superb being with Yvan – a famous person, my hero. I learnt a lot off that man, he’s unimaginable.
I do genuinely assume that in the intervening time Tom Ingram and Ash Sutton – and Yann Ehrlacher on this planet collection, who’s a famous person – are the most effective front-wheel-drive touring automotive drivers
That was a giant step for me, shifting forwards into the TC1 regulation, which in my view have been the best front-wheel-drive touring vehicles ever to have been on this planet. I’ve obtained two in my storage at house – an outdated Chevy, and my outdated Citroen from once I was with Sebastien Loeb Racing in 2016-17.
Sebastien mentioned, ‘Tom, I’m clearing out the storage, would you want a Citroen?’, and once I informed him, ‘Yeah, I’d like my one’, he informed me that it had been earlier than I raced it. So he mentioned I might have Yvan’s one, and put my pedal field and stickers on it. I did the Nordschleife, Macau, the most effective circuits on this planet. It’s cool, whereas earlier than I might simply say I’d gained in England and Scotland and that was it!
Coming again to the BTCC in 2017 felt like I used to be coming house, and I’m a household man with 4 boys. If you’re doing world championships, motorsport is hard since you’re away rather a lot, whereas this I can depart on Thursday night time or Friday morning and are available again Sunday night time.
And it says rather a lot that I’ve stayed with Excelr8 for a 3rd season. Justina and Antony Williams, the homeowners, are pushing the toughest and in one of the simplest ways. They’re so proactive, so good at evolving, pleased to take recommendation or criticism in making the staff stronger yr on yr.
Chilton is coming into his third season with the Excelr8 Hyundai staff
Photograph by: JEP / Motorsport Images
With the transfer to Dynamics, we now have an even bigger manufacturing facility in the midst of the nation, a wealth of information, an even bigger pool of with the ability to get the most effective engineers and mechanics. We’re now making an attempt to make it like an F1 staff within the BTCC, however so are NAPA Racing, and West Surrey Racing are world class as everyone knows!
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I’m very lucky to have been team-mates with many high British and world champions – and even a world rally champion! However I do genuinely assume that in the intervening time Tom Ingram and Ash Sutton – and Yann Ehrlacher on this planet collection, who’s a famous person – are the most effective front-wheel-drive touring automotive drivers.
To be team-mates with one in every of them [Ingram] makes it tougher for me. The older I get, the quicker I used to be! However I preserve pushing. I by no means cease, I wish to be on their degree. We’re mates, we have now amusing, and out of all my team-mates Tom Ingram, and Tom Coronel within the WTCC as effectively, are most likely probably the most enjoyable I’ve had the pleasure of working with.
Chilton places Ingram alongside Coronel as his favorite team-mate
Photograph by: JEP / Motorsport Images