TOC deflated championship

[racingdick]

Have thought after watching Sundays race that could it be possible that toms championship run was engineered too fail. He went from one of the four in the final to bottom of the pile!

Poor qualifying then the dnfs.. Was it just poor luck or assistance from aon after the news story about him wanting or thinking about v8's? Just seems coincidental that chilton is getting most of the credit for aons success and the independent championship too!

Thoughts? Am I barking up the wrong tree..

[Ogami]

Totally barking. All I'm waiting for now is for someone to claim it wuz da Freemasons wot dunnit ....

P

[cxx666]

you won't be the only one to be thinking that, particularly those who believe the team was biased towards Chilton for financial reasons. However I have to say I don't think it was the case on this occassion

[thommo_fan]

What a complete load of rubbish, the people that come up with these theories and the people that subscribe to them have way to much time on their hands to dream up this stuff.

Does anyone seriously think that a professional team like Arena would somehow tamper with Onslow-Cole's car so it failed to finish, especially with all the sponsors that are involved. How do you think the sponsors would react if Arena did take one of their cars out of all 3 races on perpose?

[Eunos]

Mike Earle is the devil himself :)

[Eunos]

How do you think the sponsors would react if Arena did take one of their cars out of all 3 races on perpose?

They'd say "Good job fellas, handing my son the indie title" ;) :p

[scurcic5]

Aon only have themselves to blame. Their actions at Silverstone made it perfectly clear that whatever situation the drivers found themselves in, Chilton was number 1 and would be treated as such.

To that end, it's not surprising that people are suspicious and mooting foul play when TOC's Focus, which completed 27 out of 27 preceding races, failed to complete any of the 3 at Brands.

My gut feeling is that TOC's failure to finish Race 1 was pure bad luck, but maybe there was less than 100% effort to get the car fully prepared for 2 and 3.

[tankman40]

Was thinking that myself ...after Silverstone anything was possible !!!!!

[Mondeo2]

Have thought after watching Sundays race that could it be possible that toms championship run was engineered too fail. He went from one of the four in the final to bottom of the pile!

Poor qualifying then the dnfs.. Was it just poor luck or assistance from aon after the news story about him wanting or thinking about v8's? Just seems coincidental that chilton is getting most of the credit for aons success and the independent championship too!

Thoughts? Am I barking up the wrong tree..

TOC seems happy with how this year went and claims to be looking forward to coming back again next season.
Quote below taken from another motorsport internet site.



BTCC » Onslow-Cole: I can go home happy

Tom Onslow-Cole misses out on title success at Brands Hatch
Tom Onslow-Cole insisted he could go home from Brands Hatch happy with his performance during the 2010 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season, despite hit title hopes ending in disappointing fashion.

The Team Aon driver went into the season finale lying fourth in the championship standings but his hopes of lifting the crown took a hit when he could only manage tenth on the grid at the wheel of his LPG-powered Ford Focus.

Those title hopes came to an end in the opening race when gearbox failure forced him into retirement in the ninth lap, although Onslow-Cole remained the man to beat in the Independents' championship going into the final two races.

However, hydraulic problems saw Onslow-Cole fail to make it to the finish of either remaining race meaning he dropped to third in he Indy standings.

“It's been a frustrating day and a really bad way to end the season,” he said. “But we did come here in the title hunt and I've still finished fourth in the championship, which is a great achievement for only my third season in the BTCC and so I can go home happy, with the focus on coming back next year even stronger.”

[ktfcmatt]

I like TOC and Arena, but Aon and Chilton have alot to answer for IMO. Ive never seen a driver move over twice to let a teammate through (who is well behind in the standing).
Hope TOC gets a top drive next year and shows Aon would could of been in 2010.

[kezbabybabe]

These things happen, but I don't think it was engineered to be that way.

[Rapid Fit Mondeo]

Ridiculous theory.

[Pops]

I do believe that there was a bias within the team, though I don't believe that TOC's failings at Brands were anything more than misfortune. However, in considering TOC's flawless race-finish record over 27 previous races, I can understand how the minds of the conspiracy theorists would be working overtime and I wouldn't say that the theory was "ridiculous" as much as it was possibly slightly over-imaginative.

[scurcic5]

Regardless of any shenanigans, as someone on another forum has said... everyone knows who the best Indie driver was over the course of the season.

I would imagine the only person who really thinks Chilton deserved that title is himself.

[redshoes]

everyone knows who the best Indie driver was over the course of the season.
We do, and he wasn't driving a Ford.

[Mondeo2]

everyone knows who the best Indie driver was over the course of the season.
Of course we do, the person who at the end of the championship has the most points.:D

[simon1220]

Regardless of any shenanigans, as someone on another forum has said... everyone knows who the best Indie driver was over the course of the season.

I would imagine the only person who really thinks Chilton deserved that title is himself.

Here Here.

As Mondeo2 shows above, all the Ford Fans think Chilton truly deserved it. They can think that all they want.

Im happy in my head that there were 2 drivers out there who warranted it much more.

[Mondeo2]

As Mondeo2 shows above, all the Ford Fans think Chilton truly deserved it. They can think that all they want.

Im happy in my head that there were 2 drivers out there who warranted it much more.
It's quite simple maths really, he/she who gets the most points, wins the championship, who it is or which team they race for doesn't matter. I dislike the fact that Plato won the Championship overall, I'd have preferred to see TOC win it or Shedden, then Neal, but Plato won it because he got the most points, helped by the fact that his team mate wasn't allowed to overtake him when he was obviously so much faster and being held up on more than one occasion throughout the season.
The fact is, Chilton has got the trophy and the BTCC Independants 2010 Champion title. Which means it's not us Ford fans that can think what they like, but it is the Chilton/LPG powered Aon team haters can think what they like, nothing will change the outcome.


Every champion is a deserving champion. How can you say Turkington deserved the title last year any more or any less than Plato this year? The driver who picked up the most points is champion and deserves it!

Seems to me, someone needs to make their mind up. :p:D

[simon1220]

Seems to me, someone needs to make their mind up. :p:D

In 99.9% of cases thats true. But when dirty team tactics decide the outcome, people can be allowed to think otherwise.

[Mondeo2]

In 99.9% of cases thats true. But when dirty team tactics decide the outcome, people can be allowed to think otherwise.

You can only second guess at Aon's reasons for asking TOC to move over, if indeed they did (is there any proof). But is that any different to MacDowell not being allowed to overtake Plato when he was so much faster and capable of doing on more than one occasion.

[simon1220]

You can only second guess at Aon's reasons for asking TOC to move over, if indeed they did (is there any proof). But is that any different to MacDowell not being allowed to overtake Plato when he was so much faster and capable of doing on more than one occasion.

Why do you always feel the need to try and argue my opinion?! I saw it as dirty team tactics, nothings gunna change that.

In your example, if MacDowall was capable of passing her would have. But he doesnt have that cutting edge to himself yet, that sees him take the risk for a pass.

[Mondeo2]

Why do you always feel the need to try and argue my opinion?! I saw it as dirty team tactics, nothings gunna change that.

In your example, if MacDowall was capable of passing her would have. But he doesnt have that cutting edge to himself yet, that sees him take the risk for a pass.
MacDowell overtook more than enough people throughout the season to prove he can do so, Plato may be harder than some to overtake but it's not impossible. He wouldn't have passed because he'd been told he wasn't allowed too. Plato was so obviously No.1
and MacDowell would not have ben allowed to take points off him.

[simon1220]

MacDowell overtook more than enough people throughout the season to prove he can do so, Plato may be harder than some to overtake but it's not impossible. He wouldn't have passed because he'd been told he wasn't allowed too. Plato was so obviously No.1
and MacDowell would not have ben allowed to take points off him.

He has made some moves yes, but the thing i picked up about him over the course of the season was his inability to pass those who knew how to defend, his reluctance to use a bit of aggression to get past, which often meant he got stuck behind the more established top level drivers. He got better towards the end of the year, but back when he was stuck behind Plato, Silverstone springs to mind, he didnt know how to get by, how to make a move stick.

It could have partly been team orders if thats how you want to read it, but for me I think it was just him and his inexperience.

[Mondeo2]

I remember team tactics being brought into a race very early on in the 2000 season (If memory serves me correct it was Thruxton, 3rd meeting of the championship) by 888. It was so painfully obvious that a driver (leading the race at the time) had been told to move over to let his team mate over, hell he indicated, slowed down let his team mate pass then sped up and dropped in behind him. When Derek Warwick (888 team principal) was interviewed after the race, he said the team would do whatever was necessary to improve the chances of their team and I assume the driver they saw and treated as No.1. Now let me think who was that driver that was told to move over, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ....................ah yes Jason Plato, even though in the previous meetings Muller (888's No.1 driver) had finished 2nd, 3rd retired and 5th (28pts), yet Plato had finished,4th, 1st, 6th and 7th (32pts).

[scurcic5]

Ford fan boy defends AON shocker...

[psq43]

(is there any proof).

A radio scanner tapped to 3 sets of headphones is usually a great way to get proof!

No communication to Mac from RML during the Silverstone races, other than normal radio traffic, certainly nothing that could possibly be a team order, directly or indirectly.

Can't say the same about any other well financed front running team not in Honda's though....ahem....

[Mondeo2]

A radio scanner tapped to 3 sets of headphones is usually a great way to get proof!

No communication to Mac from RML during the Silverstone races, other than normal radio traffic, certainly nothing that could possibly be a team order, directly or indirectly.
Can't say the same about any other well financed front running team not in Honda's though....ahem....

That's not to say he hadn't already been told beforehand.

[psq43]

That's not to say he hadn't already been told beforehand.

Very true and a very valid point. But comparing that to what anybody with eyes saw take place at Silverhatch, is like comparing a match being lit, to the great fire of London. Hardly even in the same league. Now we all know team orders happen, not going to stop it. But a team favoring a driver based on financial favoritism over a driver who has gotten better results from the same, yet mostly heavier, is not in the best interests of the 'team' and detrimental to the sport. Team Aon will be more remembered for that than they will for the trophies they won. I could use Plato's Stevie Wonder quote here, but I think deaf ears springs to mind.

[Mondeo2]

Very true and a very valid point. But comparing that to what anybody with eyes saw take place at Silverhatch, is like comparing a match being lit, to the great fire of London. Hardly even in the same league. Now we all know team orders happen, not going to stop it. But a team favoring a driver based on financial favoritism over a driver who has gotten better results from the same, yet mostly heavier, is not in the best interests of the 'team' and detrimental to the sport. Team Aon will be more remembered for that than they will for the trophies they won. I could use Plato's Stevie Wonder quote here, but I think deaf ears springs to mind.

This isn't going to ring true with non Ford/Team Aon fans, as they love their conspiracy theories, but it could have just been that Aon were hedging their bets by trying to bring both of their drivers up into contention to win the championship overall. Silverstone was early enough in the season to do this, not too early and not too late. The conspiracy theorists will say TOC's car was tampered with to prevent him from taking the Independants Trophy after his failure to stay in the main championship race after his DNF in the 1st race at Brands. I don't agree that Aon will always be remembered for this use of team orders. My example of Plato the leading 888 Vauxhall driver having to move over and allow Muller to take the win in the 2000 season Thruxton race, trully was farcical yet seems to be forgotten.
I'm a Ford fan through and through I admit that, but as far as TOC or TC winning either or both championships, it doesn't bother me which one of them one.
I'd like to think TOC and TC will be team mates again next year in Aon Fords with hopefully Ford full works backing and prove all conspiracy theorists and Ford haters wrong on favouritism and the true speed of the cars.

[psq43]

This isn't going to ring true with non Ford/Team Aon fans, as they love their conspiracy theories, but it could have just been that Aon were hedging their bets by trying to bring both of their drivers up into contention to win the championship overall. Silverstone was early enough in the season to do this, not too early and not too late. The conspiracy theorists will say TOC's car was tampered with to prevent him from taking the Independants Trophy after his failure to stay in the main championship race after his DNF in the 1st race at Brands. I don't agree that Aon will always be remembered for this use of team orders. My example of Plato the leading 888 Vauxhall driver having to move over and allow Muller to take the win in the 2000 season Thruxton race, trully was farcical yet seems to be forgotten.
I'm a Ford fan through and through I admit that, but as far as TOC or TC winning either or both championships, it doesn't bother me which one of them one.
I'd like to think TOC and TC will be team mates again next year in Aon Fords with hopefully Ford full works backing and prove all conspiracy theorists and Ford haters wrong on favouritism and the true speed of the cars.

I remember the 888 Plato/Muller team thruxton fiasco you have mentioned twice now very well. And they never lived it down for the next year either. It also possibly sowed the seeds for the problematic political 2001 season too. As for the theories....well I dont agree that ToC's car was tampered with at all to ****** his chances on finals day, but the frantic preparation activity in 'one' garage, compared to the very relaxed activity in ToC's garage can be taken many ways. Even a TOCA observer mentioned how 'they dont seem to be bothering much over Onslow-Cole's'. People can and will read into that what they like. Thats the advantage of freedom of thought! There is still plenty of depth of feeling over the Team Chilton, sorry, Aon business, and there always will be. Especially when seats that could fit former and potential champions are taken up by drivers who have systematically shown people that they wont ever be champion! Anyway, I have work to do so we will resume this when next season kicks off and then action will speak louder than our words!

[Mondeo2]

There is still plenty of depth of feeling over the Team Chilton, sorry, Aon business, and there always will be. Especially when seats that could fit former and potential champions are taken up by drivers who have systematically shown people that they wont ever be champion! Anyway, I have work to do so we will resume this when next season kicks off and then action will speak louder than our words!
See I don't understand this hatred of Chilton and his father's money. Even before Silverstone, people have slated him and his fathers money. Chilton has had drives with Honda, VXR, works drives with no sign of any sponsorship from his fathers money on the cars. Just because his father and Aon have the money to sponsor him in a team doesn't mean he doesn't have a right to be there, regardless of the fact that Champions have been unable to race due to lack of funding or manufacturers. It doesn't follow Chilton is taking their place. As I said before, TOC would probably not have been on the grid last year, nor this year if not for the Aon money, they sponsored his car too after all.
It took an older Plato 4 yrs to win his first championship, then another 9 (I know he wasn't in all the following seasons) before he won another. Chilton has plenty of time, he's developed the Focus well along with TOC, time will tell next year when the Focus can't be restricted as it will be running the same turbo/restrictor/boost pressures as the TOCA ngtc engine sio it will be down to Mountune and how much power they can gleen from their new engine and the development of the Focus Chassis to suit.

[daveylad1978]

See I don't understand this hatred of Chilton and his father's money. Even before Silverstone, people have slated him and his fathers money. Chilton has had drives with Honda, VXR, works drives with no sign of any sponsorship from his fathers money on the cars.

It doesn't necessarily mean he's been given the drive on merit from that manufacturer. Money still talks. For example, since Plato, Thompson and eventually Muller departed 888, then the second (and third when they had one) works drive wasn't as highly paid as the first.

There are two ways of doing it: the number two driver was paid a nominal figure for the year, which was then topped up by his own personal sponsorship money (but their names didn't appear on the cars), while the third guy perhaps paid for the drive and didn't get much if anything back. Rumours are that Gavin Smith paid the best part of half a million for his VXR seats in 05 and 06. Indeed, he was the only driver to get branding on the team's transporters with Smiths Hire Centres. No Turkington Holdings or Bluesure/Aon branding present there. The end result is VXR have another 1 or 2 cars with their branding and logos, for less money. To Joe Bloggs it looks like that third driver has a works drive, but it's not as simple as that.

Same goes for MacDowall this year. That drive's been paid for by his ECM sponsorship, so effectively paid for by his dad. Anyone could have driven that second car, but he was the only one prepared to pay the required amount, plus it was probably swung by some sort of deal for ECM to transport new Chevrolets to the dealers.

[Mondeo2]

It doesn't necessarily mean he's been given the drive on merit from that manufacturer. Money still talks. For example, since Plato, Thompson and eventually Muller departed 888, then the second (and third when they had one) works drive wasn't as highly paid as the first.

There are two ways of doing it: the number two driver was paid a nominal figure for the year, which was then topped up by his own personal sponsorship money (but their names didn't appear on the cars), while the third guy perhaps paid for the drive and didn't get much if anything back. Rumours are that Gavin Smith paid the best part of half a million for his VXR seats in 05 and 06. Indeed, he was the only driver to get branding on the team's transporters with Smiths Hire Centres. No Turkington Holdings or Bluesure/Aon branding present there. The end result is VXR have another 1 or 2 cars with their branding and logos, for less money. To Joe Bloggs it looks like that third driver has a works drive, but it's not as simple as that.

Same goes for MacDowall this year. That drive's been paid for by his ECM sponsorship, so effectively paid for by his dad. Anyone could have driven that second car, but he was the only one prepared to pay the required amount, plus it was probably swung by some sort of deal for ECM to transport new Chevrolets to the dealers.

Paid or paid for, a manufacturer team aren't really going to want someone in the team who is unable to produce the goods. The manufacturers must have seen something in Chilton other than just his money.

[kezbabybabe]

Can't believe this nonsense has come back again. You aren't even talking about the subject of the topic :rolleyes:.

Just let it all go...

Tom Onslow-Cole fought hard all season, but wasn't able to produce the goods on the day and Tom Chilton did (regardless of any team orders), it's as simple as that!

[603270466]

*YAAWWWNNNNSSSSS*

I agree with Kerry :)

People win things by scoring more points than anyone else :) simples!!

Its sport, not a popularity contest :) He who shall score more wins...... thats the way it'll always be

[felix27]

another thing to consider is yes it may be the chiltons paying arena but tom's dad paul is another main sponser with calor (he owns the uk rights). but maybe arena moving away from LPG is a sign toc is jumping ship next year?