Bio

2013 is a big year for Tom Chilton; following his inaugural season in the World Touring Car Championship, he joins the British based RML team to compete in the 2013 WTCC. RML, one of the world’s leading high performance motorsport engineering companies have, with the Chevrolet Cruze 1.6 Turbo, a car that provides Tom with a great platform to challenge for the title.

Born in 1985, from a successful sporting family, Tom first competed in a competitive series at just 13 years and 10 months after obtaining his first race licence. Becoming the youngest driver to ever to start a race at that time. Over the coming years, he competed in the highly competitive T Car Championship where he began to show his potential, consistently out performing his older rivals. By 2001, and still being too young to race in other series, Tom was consistently finding himself on top of the podium. Eager to take the step up and obtain his international racing licence, he entered the BRSCC Winter Saloon Car Championships in a VW Vento; going onto win not only his first race, but the Championship. He managed this success whilst simultaneously racing in the Global GT Lights series, switching between front and rear wheel drive vehicles, sometimes on the same race weekend!
Later that year, he became the youngest driver ever to take to the wheel of the Vauxhall Astra Touring Car at Brands Hatch, from there; it wasn’t long before he stepped up into the full British Touring Car Championship, becoming the youngest driver to ever take part in the full series. He celebrated his 17th birthday just 2 weeks before finishing 3rd at Brands.

By 2003 he was driving for the Honda works team, securing two podium finishes in the very first round of the Championship. In 2004, at 19 years old, Tom won his first BTCC race at the historic home of British motorsport, Silverstone.

Moving into 2005, after being announced as the number 1 Touring Car driver by Motorsport News Magazine and whilst still competing in BTCC, Tom partnered Hyanari Shimoda in the Zytek LPM1 car to drive the 1000km Le Mans endurance race at the world famous Nurburgring in Germany. Despite the unfamiliar form of racing, the pair worked their way from 42nd on the grid to win the race. One Success lead to another as he went on to qualify on pole at the 4 hour Legune Seca race in California, aged just 20, and won.

In 2007, Tom, driving together with brother Max who would later go on to race in Formula 1, competed in a 1000km race at Silverstone. Encountering mechanical problems just a few laps from the chequered flag, the boys were robbed of a podium finish in their maiden race as teammates, aged 21 and 16 respectively, they still managing a gratifying 5th place and a piece of family history.

2008 saw Tom return to a Honda Civic, this time with Team Dynamics. Driving a sub-par car, Tom achieved numerous podiums and topped the season off with a win at Brands Hatch, a circuit where to this day, he holds the record for the fastest single lap around the track.

In 2009/10 Tom drove for the independent Team Aon in the Ford Focus, securing 3 wins, 7 podiums and 4 poles on the way to becoming the Independent Driver Champion in 2010 and helping the team to take the Independent Team Title that same year.

In 2011 he top and tailed the season with wins as Team Aon looked to develop the car in preparation for stepping up to the World Touring Car Series in 2012. After over 10 years as a professional driver, Chilton looks ahead to 2013 with great positivity, driving alongside racing legend Yvan Muller at the very top of motorsport in the FIA 2013 World Touring Car Championship.

Team

RML has played a pivotal role in the touring car world since 1992 and having managed highly successful manufacturer programmes for Nissan, Vauxhall and most recently, Chevrolet – through initial design, build and race management to championship success on track – RML has rapidly become one of the most respected motorsport & automotive engineering companies in the industry. Over the past decade numerous RML-built cars have competed across the globe in various championships, with customer teams adding to the victorious portfolio of wins in the European, Australian, Asian and South African championships.

RML actively sought to remain in the championship for 2013 and for the first time the outfit will compete in the Independent category having secured support from Lukoil and Aon, with triple World Champion Yvan Muller and former BTCC champion Tom Chilton at the helm of the Cruze.

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Hot Laps

Ever wanted to go full power around one of the UK’s most well-known circuits?
Now is your chance to join me, Tom Chilton for some full powered laps around Brands Hatch in my 630bhp Nissan Skyline.

Head to Hot Laps here!