Team Aon continued its success streak in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship this weekend with Tom Onslow-Cole claiming a win, followed by a third and fifth-place finish in this afternoon’s races at Oulton Park. Tom Chilton contributed to the team’s points’ haul with a fourth, fifth and a sixth-place finish.
Onslow-Cole led from start to finish in race one, having qualified on pole yesterday. The 22-year-old retained his lead despite a safety car period and near-constant pressure from Gordon Shedden. Chilton raced his Ford Focus to fifth, having relentlessly challenged for position throughout the race.
Race two saw Onslow-Cole remain at the front of the field for ten of the 15-lap race, whilst team-mate Chilton climbed to fourth on lap one. With both cars carrying success ballast however, maintaining position proved difficult and the drivers finished in third and sixth place respectively.
Running lighter in race three, Tom Chilton fought impressively through the field to take the lead. The 25-year-old was unable to hold on to it however and eventually finished in fourth place, ahead of team-mate Tom Onslow-Cole in fifth. Onslow-Cole was awarded the Cliff Johnson Trophy for scoring the most points during the weekend, in memory of Team Principal Cliff Johnson who passed away a few days ago.
Tom Onslow-Cole (#21) “Race one was tough; I didn’t have that good a start but I managed the first corner well and pushed from then onwards! Shedden kept me honest all the way; I couldn’t let up at all but it feels really good to win on my own merit, rather than inherit the victory as it was in Brands Hatch. I had a much better start in race two; I held both BMWs and even got a bit of a gap! The ballast weight dulls the car’s balance though and Plato’s move for the lead didn’t really allow room to defend myself unfortunately. Still, we got a lot of points today and have moved up in the championship, which is crucial. Race three was the same; I aimed to score as many points as possible.”
Tom Chilton (#23) “I had an awful lot going on around me in race one and it was essential to finish so I focused on that. It’s so easy to lose it here and end up having to start the next race from last. I had a really good start in race two and held on to my position. I got hit from behind soon after and ended up hitting Robert Collard, which was unfortunate. That led to a loss of power on my car so I pushed as much as possible but sixth was the best we could do. I really wanted to finish as high as possible in race three, and managed to get the lead but it wasn’t to be.”