Birch’s very own tame racing driver and Commercial Director Tom Chilton gives an insight into season-opening success in the British Touring Car Championship.
We promised a recap after every round, and what a way to kick things off at Donington Park — with a win, a fastest lap, and a spot on the podium next to my best mate. Let’s rewind and walk through how it all unfolded.
Shakedown, Setup & Straight-Line Speed
The journey began at Birch Gatwick, where the car had been beautifully stored, prepped, and looking sharp. Thursday’s shakedown was textbook – no glitches, no dramas, and the car felt absolutely dialled in. From there, we headed to Donington Park feeling confident.
Free practice proved promising. Straight out the box, we were flying — P1 in FP1 and P4 in FP2 on older tyres, which gave us a great benchmark heading into qualifying.
Qualifying Frustration & Resilience
Qualifying now runs in three segments: Q1, Q2, and Q3. We flew through Q1 and Q2, but just as I rolled out of the pit lane for Q3, disaster struck — a crank sensor failure killed the engine. No chance to set a lap.
Fortunately, just reaching Q3 locks you into the top six, so I started race one from P6. Frustrating, but not a disaster.
Fighting Through the Pack
Race 1 was a proper scrap. I fought up to P4 at one point, dropped back, tangled with a few cars, and climbed again — only to be handed a time penalty, placing me P7 for race two.
In Race 2, I moved from P7 to P6 and grabbed the fastest lap on the medium tyre, which was especially rewarding given it’s the slower compound at Donington. The car felt strong, and I was confident heading into the final race of the weekend.
The Big One: Race 3 Victory
I struck gold in the reverse grid draw — P6 was reversed to pole. Better still, we were on the soft tyres, and I’d done a lot of setup work over winter to get the most out of them.
The race wasn’t easy. Donington was hot — not just for racing but also for spectators (and the London Marathon runners!). With a few tyre failures earlier in the day, there was a delicate balance between pace and tyre preservation.
I got a mega start, led from the front, managed the tyre wear, and built a gap. My teammate Tom Ingram held off pressure behind, giving me a crucial breather. With smart use of hybrid boost and careful tyre management, I held on for the win, the fastest lap, and the biggest trophy I’ve ever lifted in BTCC.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
This wasn’t just a personal victory — it was the first win for Team Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8, and we had two drivers on the podium: me and Tom. We're now 2nd and 3rd in the Drivers’ Championship, and we're joint top of the Teams' standings.
Unfortunately, Adam Morgan and Michael Crees didn’t share our luck this weekend, but that’s racing. The foundation is strong, and the team is buzzing.
Looking Ahead to Brands Hatch
Round 2 is at Brands Hatch (Indy Circuit), May 10–11 — my home track and a place where I’ve traditionally gone well. I set the lap record in winter testing and felt dominant, so confidence is high.
That said, the turbo boost allocation will make things interesting. As I’m 3rd in the championship, I’ll only get 5 seconds of turbo boost per lap in qualifying, compared to 15 seconds for those further down the table. That’s a big deficit on such a short lap — possibly up to 0.3s per lap.
We also have to run the hard tyre in one of the races, which will be a challenge — I’ve not used it around Brands yet, so it's a bit of an unknown. But with a strong baseline setup and momentum from Donington, we’re ready!
Best & Worst of the Weekend
- Best Moment: That perfect launch off the line in Race 3. New clutches this year meant a new technique — and I nailed it.
- Worst Moment: Getting caught up in traffic in Race 1 and sustaining a slight brake duct knock, giving me a long pedal for the rest of the race.
Final Thoughts
This weekend had everything — pace, problems, pressure, and podiums. Starting the season with a win and a fastest lap is exactly where we wanted to be. Brands Hatch is next, and we’re going in fully charged and laser-focused.
See you at Round 2!
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