Team Aon Step Closer To WTCC
Team Aon moved a step closer to confirming their entry into the World Touring Car Championships after their recent trip to China for the recent round of the championship.
On their trip both Mike Earle and Grahame Chilton met with WTCC promoter Marcello Lotti and Jost Capito, director of Ford Global Motorsport Business Development to discuss their intentions for the 2012 season.
“We are going ahead with our WTCC preparations,” commented Earle. “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.”
Team Aon took two race wins and a pole position during the 2011 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship on their way to finishing fourth in the teams championship but it’s been well documented throughout the season that their intentions are to head onto the world stage.
Arena Motorsport, the team behind the Team Aon banner, have been around for over a decade after they first entered a Renault Laguna into the series back in 1999 before returning in 2001 to hold a successful five year campaign with Honda. The team then returned once more in 2009 with a pair of Ford Focus ST’s with Tom Chilton behind the wheel, and has stayed their for the following two years to date.
“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,” commented Grahame Chilton, Tom Chilton’s Father.
Team Aon’s intentions have also been well received by the World Touring Car Championship itself. Marcello Lotti went on to say, “I am obviously excited by the fact that a new and glamorous brand with worldwide commercial interests may become involved in the championship. 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.”
If plans are to go ahead then it’s common knowledge that Tom Chilton will be one of the drivers that will make the step onto the world stage but the future of the remaining two drivers in Tom Onslow-Cole and Andy Neate is unknown.
Photo Credit: Jakob Ebrey
James Mappin
