Team Aon delivered a near perfect race weekend, having dominated proceedings with three victories from three races at Silverstone in today’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship. Having secured pole-position on Saturday the team secured double podium finishes in race one and two, as well as victory in the final race of the day.
Tom Onslow-Cole also secured the fastest lap in all three races of the day earning himself a bonus point for each to add to his points haul.
Both Team Aon Ford’s made a clean get away from the front row of the grid in the first race of the day, with Tom Onslow-Cole leading the early stages of the race from pole position. On lap twelve Onslow-Cole encountered a gearbox issue that dropped him back, allowing Tom Chilton to inherit the win.
Onslow-Cole’s problem dropped him back into the clutches of championship leader Jason Plato, however the twenty-three year-old managed to defend his position despite the close attentions of the Chevrolet to make it a Team Aon one-two.
The two Team Aon cars lined up at the front of the grid once again for Race Two, with Tom Chilton this time starting from pole thanks to his Race One victory. With the two Team Aon cars out in front the decision was made to ensure both Ford’s remained in championship contention and so on lap 17 when Onslow-Cole slowed to allow his team-mate to take maximum points.
However, the close attention of Rob Collard’s BMW and some robust overtaking attempts meant that Onslow-Cole actually dropped back to third, behind the racy BMW, denying the Littlehampton based squad their second one-two of the day.
The third race of the day saw the customary reverse grid, meaning Tom Chilton started from sixth following his Race Two victory, with Onslow-Cole in fourth as a result of his third placed finish. Both Ford’s once again made clean starts, whilst chaos reigned around them. First there was contact between Martin Depper’s BMW and MacDowall’s Chevrolet, when the two came together immediately after the start, the second Chevrolet was also in trouble at turn one, when Championship leader Plato came together with his arch-rival Matt Neal.
The chaotic first lap allowed the two Team Aon cars into second and third. The safety car emerged for 5 laps as the Silverstone marshals worked to clear up the carnage. At the restart Onslow-Cole hunted down Paul O’Neill’s Honda and following an overtaking move that lasted almost a lap, where the two cars ran side by side, he finally made it stick into Copse on lap 8. Chilton set about making it another one-two finish for Team Aon, but was hit from behind entering the Brooklands right hander on Lap 19, a move that dropped him back to 6th place. Onslow-Cole raced to the top step of the podium, giving Team Aon a clean sweep, with all three race victories.
Tom Onslow-Cole (#21), BTCC Standings: 2nd – 157 points.
“A brilliant day for Team Aon winning all three races and I’m delighted to manage to get onto the top step of the podium for race three. Seconds and thirds are great, but as a racing driver you always want to win. I’ve scored 45 points this weekend and that’s made our championship look much stronger, moving me from fourth to second.”
Tom Chilton (#23), BTCC Standings: 5th – 127 points.
“What a day! Two victories from the first two races. I would have loved to have made it three podiums from three races, but in the last one Jackson’s BMW had other ideas. As a result we ended the day on a lower note than we could have, but still what a brilliant day for Team Aon!”
Mike Earle, Team Principal: 2nd – 265 points (Team) & 1st – 390 points (Constructor.)
“A great weekend for the team; three wins, plus a second and a third, therefore five podium finishes – not bad! We’ve moved into the lead of the Constructors championship and both drivers have moved up in the championship standings. Having both of them up there is very important for us heading into the final three rounds of the championship, so all in all a great weekend.”