Photo: BTCC

Tom Chilton calls time on BTCC career

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Tom Chilton has confirmed that this weekend’s British Touring Car Championship meeting will be his last, after announcing that he will retire from the series after Brands Hatch.

The EXCELR8 driver will participate in his final three rounds of his career at the Kent circuit, closing out a career in the UK’s premier motorsport series that begun more than two decades.

Ironically it was at the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit that Chilton made his debut back in 2002, scoring a podium first time out in Vauxhall Astra run by Barwell Motorsport.

Since then, he has gone on to make more than  550 starts in the series, scored 19 wins and 73 podium finishes. The 41-year-old also lifted the Independents’ Trophy title in 2010.

“My BTCC career started on the Brands Hatch GP circuit back in 2002 with a podium finish, so having made the decision to bring my time in the series to an end, it feels appropriate that my final race will be at the same circuit,” said Chilton.

“There are so many fantastic memories from my time in the series, from that debut podium finish in the Vauxhall through to my time with Arena Motorsport in the Honda and Ford, and then the last decade since returning from the World Touring Car Championship.

“Being part of Team VERTU for the last five seasons has been a particular highlight, and I’m hopeful that this weekend, I can bring the curtain down on my BTCC journey with another podium finish – hopefully with a trip to the top step!”