General News
04/Feb/2010
Chilton completes Spanish test
Tom Chilton has raved about his Team Aon Ford Focus’s handling following an intensive two-day test at the Guadix circuit in Spain.
While Formula 1 teams were testing at Valencia on Monday and Tuesday, Chilton was 250 miles away at the central Spanish venue where he clocked up more than 500 kilometres.
He and Mike Earle’s Arena squad that runs the cars are clearly determined to start the 2010 season as they ended 2009 – challenging for race wins. The Ford name is the most successful of any manufacturer in the BTCC but not since 2000 has a car bearing the Blue Oval’s badge won a race in the series.
Meanwhile, Arena becomes the first team in 2010 to begin testing ahead of the start of the new Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season at Thruxton on Easter Sunday 4 April.
Chilton, who has seven BTCC race wins to his name, told btcc.net: “Conditions at Guadix were just about perfect with a low-ish track temperature which was quite similar to a UK track.
“Every time we made a tweak to the chassis it just seemed to get better and better. The cornering is just out of this world and the Focus is the best handling touring car I’ve ever driven. Thruxton is going to be great fun and I’m really looking forward to corners like Noble, Goodwood and Church.
“What was also pleasing at Guadix was we had 100 per cent reliability. It was a really great job by all the team.”
Chilton said that driving the Guadix circuit was an enjoyable experience. He added: “There are some great left-right twists where we could really push the car and then when you get on the straight all you see ahead of you are the mountains with snow on the top. It was a bit like being in a Playstation game.”
