Tom’s Donington Double Top

Birch Commercial Director Tom Chilton had a productive weekend away from the office at the eighth round of the British Touring Car Championship – taking pole position and winning the first race of the weekend at Donington Park.

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Tom now sits in sixth position in the standings, with his latest win making it five podium finishes so far this season, with two rounds remaining. His team, Team Vertu, also continue to lead the overall Teams’ Championship.

Chilton was quick all weekend, with a lap under the fastest BTCC qualifying time in the closing moments of FP2 before claiming his first BTCC pole position since Knockhill in 2011. The experienced hand thrived in the damp Donington conditions, proving particularly strong through the wet patches of the moist Midlands track.

"This means a lot to me. I haven’t had a pole since 2011 in the BTCC, it feels like a really long time, so I guess it was about time really!

“It was very tricky conditions, we were sliding all over the place, but I felt the tyre and grip come in, and made no mistakes.

"Maybe finally, being one thousand years old, the experience finally paid off in these conditions. It’s perfect for Team Vertu, it doesn’t get any better than locking out the front row."

Starting from pole for the opening race, Chilton and team-mate Tom Ingram pulled off a Donington disappearing act, breaking clear from their rivals. Aside from some strategic position swaps, the race was firmly under Chilton’s control, and he claimed his second win of the season.

“All those years on, and it feels just as good as my first win in 2004. Obviously, this weekend we’ve got the perfect set-up on the car, and me and Tom [Ingram] had some nice fun and games out there. Second win of the year for me and it’s fantastic. From lights to flag, it was perfect.”

Race 2 brought a flash downpour that saw Tom caught-up in contact at the restart and finish 15th, while Race 3 produced a strong drive back up the order to sixth.

“I’ve always said if you can score between 30 and 35 points, you're having a really nice weekend and that's what we've done.
“Unfortunately, things turned a bit in race two with the contact from behind, but at least that led to an exciting final race as we battled back through the field to finish in sixth spot and score more strong points.

“Overall, it’s been a great weekend for the team and we’ve strengthened our position in the standings with just two rounds left to go - so it’s been a job well done.”

Back from Donington, Tom returns to Birch Gatwick, where precision and experience are just as important off track as they are behind the wheel. Just as Tom handled Donington’s wet patches with a steady hand, Birch applies the same care and control to its secure storage environment – ensuring performance, classic and investment cars are always kept in their element.

Tom’s next in BTCC action at Silverstone in late September, before the season concludes at Birch’s local track, Brands Hatch, in October – another fitting reminder of Birch Gatwick’s place at the heart of the UK’s motorsport and collector car community.