Onslow-Cole won twice at Thruxton on his 21st birthday in 2008

Tom Onslow-Cole and Tom Chilton will race for Team Aon in this season's British Touring Car Championship.

New Malden's Onslow-Cole, 22, and Reigate-based Chilton will be team-mates for their first full BTCC season.

The pair will drive LPG-powered Ford Focuses, which run on a pioneering liquefied petrolium gas engine.

"The engine is greener and hopefully it will be quick enough to catch on in other parts of motorsport," Onslow-Cole told BBC London 94.9.

"There's a different driving style but that's more down to the fact we're running a turbo which really alters the characteristics of the engine.

"It's something neither myself or Tom (Chilton) have experience of, so we are learning all the time," he added.

Although there have been trials of LPG-powered cars in the series before, the development has prompted alterations to the pit lane.

Chilton explained: "The re-fuelling situation at the moment is fairly complicated.

"The circuits are not really designed for it, so we've had to create our own set up," he continued. "Because of the extra safety concerns with gas we are being very cautious."

There is no shortage of overtaking so we're the exact opposite of Formula One Series director Alan Gow

The season gets underway at the Thruxton circuit in Hampshire on Sunday, and despite the economic climate, there is a 23-car grid with a number of new teams, cars and drivers.

Series director Alan Gow said: "We're in rude health but that's not to say it hasn't been difficult getting here.

"We've got the biggest field for a number of years with nine models of car from seven different manufacturers. Spectators will see three short, sharp races plus the support events. There is no shortage of overtaking so we're the exact opposite of Formula One."

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version