Tom Onslow-Cole takes first podium of 2011

Last year’s championship contender Tom Onslow-Cole had his best weekend of the season in either the AmD Milltek Volkswagen Golf he started the year with or his current drive, the Arena Motorsport Ford Focus Mk.III at Brands Hatch GP.

The 24-year-old from New Malden leaped two places in the drivers’ championship after finishing fifth, third and seventh in the days three races, in a great day for Arena International Motorsport which nearly had all three cars in the points in every race until Andy Neate’s retirement in race three.

“We’re moving forward with the car, things are coming together,” said Onslow-Cole to TouringCarTimes.

“We’ve still got lots to do, but we’re headed in the right direction which I think is the encouraging thing, the team have worked very hard to turn things around from Rockingham to here so yes, it’s exciting, shame there’s only one (race) left.”

“I think all the work that we’re doing now will go into a World Touring Car for next year,” added Onslow-Cole.

Last month at Knockhill, Arena took their first victory of the season with the New Focus, but went backwards at Rockingham with all three cars out of the points.

“(We) got it working very well at Knockhill and then the 20 kilos (the turbocharged cars) had to put on really hurt us and we realised we had a bit of a sensitive issue with weight with the car which killed us for Rockingham but we were able to work on that coming here,” said Onslow-Cole.

Onslow-Cole then took a podium finish in race three, battling hard with the Motorbase Performance Ford Focus ST of Mat Jackson in the race, the same car Onslow-Cole drove last year whilst fighting for the drivers’ title.

“I know her very well, and hat off to him (Jackson) he’s driving very very well in it. He’s put together a great championship this year and he gets the results out of the car.”