Team Aon head to Knockhill in a condfident mood after a clean sweep at Silverstone thanks to the excellent driving by Tom Onslow-Cole and team-mate Tom Chilton.
Despite the confidence the Knockhill track is very different to the flat Northamptionshire track they dominated on last time out. “I’m really looking forward to racing again at Knockhill, as I didn't race there last year” admits Onslow-Cole. “It's a track I really love. It's a tight twisty layout with a lot of undulation, so it's a very different challenge to Snetterton or Silverstone, but I’m confident we have made some positive chassis improvements that will help us.
Currently in second place with 157 points Onslow-Cole will be looking to secure further point scoring results. “Finishing all three races near the sharp end is again imperative for the championship; a few podiums wouldn't go a miss either!” he added.
Team-mate Chilton, who is 30 points further back and fifth place in the championship battle regards the Scottish track as a favourite of his. “I love Knockhill it is a special place for me as I had my first ever Independents class BTCC win there in 2002 in a Vauxhall Astra.” said Chilton. “That was in the pouring rain, in fact I think most of the races I’ve had there since have been in difficult conditions. If it’s wet this weekend then I will be happy because the way our Ford Focus handles when it’s wet is brilliant. If it’s dry then that’s okay too, as the Arena guys have worked so hard to make sure we will have a great car no matter what the conditions are.
“I need to follow up the results we had at Silverstone with some more strong performances this weekend and so I will be giving it 100% as always. It will be tough, especially with the latest performance restrictions that TOCA have given our cars, but I still think we have a really strong package overall and that’s what you need at Knockhill, it’s not just about engine power or straight line speed.”
Team boss Mike Earle admits that he doesn’t expect to see the Ford’s topping the results sheet but is hopeful of a good performance still. “We were delighted to record such strong results at the last round of the championship at Silverstone, a circuit at which we had always been tipped to do well. Moving on to Knockhill we are really expecting the Honda to be the car to beat and in particular Gordon Shedden, who is always quick at his home race. A consistent weekend is key for us as we move towards the conclusion of this years’ championship.”
