Team Aon's Tom Chilton in BTCC action (Photo Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography)
In preparation for an entry into the championship in 2012 representatives of Team Aon visited the World Touring Car paddock in Shanghai Tianma during last week's Chinese round of the WTCC.
Mike Earle, team principal of Arena Motorsport, which runs the Team Aon operation in the BTCC, was joined by Grahame Chilton and BTCC race winner Tom Chilton in meetings with WTCC promoter Marcello Lotti and Jost Capito, director of Ford Global Motorsport Business Development.
Earle revealed that the team are pushing forward with expansive plans for the 2012 season. “We are going ahead with our WTCC preparation. We have built a Ford Focus to S2000 specifications and we will start testing with Tom Chilton before the end of this month. As an Independent Constructor, our team preparation for the 2012 WTCC season is enabled through the S2000 development support from Ford.”
Grahame Chilton, who attended the meetings as Earle' commercial partner added; “our aim is to build a three-car team and besides Tom we are in touch with a number of prospective leading touring car drivers with international experience, with the aim being to launch a team that is competitive from the outset.”
“I am obviously excited by the fact that a new and glamorous brand with worldwide commercial interests may become involved in the championship,” said Lotti. “I'm also pleased that the programme will be run by such a professional team and will involve a young and promising driver like Tom who emerged from a competitive national championship like the BTCC. This addition will provide WTCC with further competition and appeal.”
