Arena & Chilton back at Thruxton

[Hazard]

Tom Chilton & Arena will be back in the 2004 Civic Type-R this weekend, after the DTM deal fell through.

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[Super Tourer]

Autosport are reporting it will be a one off outing at the moment, entered under Tom's name.

I think Tom would rather be in something a bit newer, the Civic has been untouched over the winter and the new BTC cars are looking pretty fast, but waiting for the MG DTM project to come together has seen the 'best' BTCC opportunties taken over the winter.

Be good so see him out there, he's usually spectacular and gives it everything.

On a seperate note Tom is to get his first run in a Zytek sports prototype next week, prior to racing at the Mid-Ohio LMES race.

[BootsOntheSide]

Good to see another potentially competitive car out there, but with Proctor having taken teh weekend off we are still stuck at 12, which is a pathetic entry list.

[Hazard]

Originally Posted by BootsOntheSide

Good to see another potentially competitive car out there, but with Proctor having taken teh weekend off we are still stuck at 12, which is a pathetic entry list.

Maybe Curley will turn up in the second Lexus, though I doubt it.

Should have this GA Alfa with Spence driving perhaps...so maybe 13 cars?

[redshoes]

GA won't be out until Brands. Curley's car should be there, although how up to speed it will be is another matter.

[Super Tourer]

GA have delayed until Brands apparently.

[ATF]

In fairness, even without Proctor but adding Chilton makes it 10 competitive cars and then James Kaye could be up there -we will have to see. Hoefully we will have the 2 Lexus so that would be 13. OK not loads but should be better than Donington.

[Super Tourer]

OT: The significant thing is that the weight break should make the Seat's much more competitve, remember Plato v Muller at Thruxton last year.......

[SALEEN S7R]

Originally Posted by Super Tourer

On a seperate note Tom is to get his first run in a Zytek sports prototype next week, prior to racing at the Mid-Ohio LMES race.

Indeed it will be good to see how he fares in a LMP, might need to adapt his driving style a bit, we should know just how well he will do sometime next week after the scheduled Magny Cours test. Oh and FYI the race Zytek are competing at at Mid Ohio is a ALMS round, and not a LMES event.

[Super Tourer]

Yep - sorry about that, ALMS - their LMES program is a bit fluid from what Autosport are reporting.

[Hazard]

Tom was second fastest in the first practice...not a bad start

[cos]

...and fastest in the second session. I wonder how many people forgot to put him down in the predictions competition!

[redshoes]

Chilton will be running without sucess ballast so no big surprise he's quick, although I wasn't expecting him to be quickest.

Looks like no Ian Curley and more problems for Richard Williams.

[BootsOntheSide]

Impressive return for Tom, but as mentioned the lack of success ballast coupled with af ew gremlins in teh new cars will be helping.

[Hazard]

Chilton on Pole, Plato second...damn lightweights!

No Lexus' set times at all...looks like we're down to 11.

[touringlegend]

You would think the cars would move on in terms of pace from season to season, and even though Chilton has no success ballast, that's still a pretty good time.

Why are Pickford and Hines so poor compared to Plato ?

[Kicking-back]

Because they have less driving talent.

Simple as that

[BootsOntheSide]

We don't really know how good Pickford could be yet, and Hines is still a lot less experienced than Plato. It's probably too early to amke any definite comment there, especialyl as JP has the bulk of SEAT's support.

Great effort by Tom, even if the ballast situation does flatter him a little. The trick is for the team to fail to emtnion thsi to potential full-season sponsors....

[forzaf1]

Williams apparently are done for the weekend and won't run again till Brands.

Alex

[touringlegend]

Down to engine troubles, which is apparently the reason for Ian Curley's non-appearance too.

Of course they have less driving talent(experience?) than Plato, but for Pickford, you don't become a champion in Cupras by running at the tail end, and for Hines, well I'm sure he could be as good as if not better than Plato when he tries.

[maximus]

Originally Posted by Kicking-back

Because they have less driving talent.

Simple as that

So your saying that the 2003 BTC champion is rubbish?

[Craig]

BTC-P champion. Not gonna comment on Luke's ability but he was driving one hell of a car - let's face it there are some who actually believed Blencowe was good after driving it!

[BillyT]

Originally Posted by Craig

BTC-P champion. Not gonna comment on Luke's ability but he was driving one hell of a car - let's face it there are some who actually believed Blencowe was good after driving it!

He's not doing to bad in SEATs though.

[Redlake27]

I hope Chilton can race all season, and Arena can get Morrisson in the other car. I believe a second WSR MG will be out very soon too.

With these two Arena Hondas, a second MG, Proctor, two lexus and maybe Jamie Spence in a GA Alfa and we have a potential 17 car field, of which at least a dozen are potential front runners.

[BootsOntheSide]

Arena have spent over a year trying to find the fundign to run Morrison. Why would they suddenly be successful now, with a year-old car and havign missed at least 2 races? Al;so, from what I've heard Collard's funding is pretty limited, and any new MG driver could be a replacement rather than an addition. Still, now that Tom's back out tehre we have basically got a field where the top half is of simialr standard to last year (althoughw tihout Thompson, Huff or Reid) but a lack of depth behind them.