Team Aon Ford Focus racer Tom Chilton scored two podium finishes in the race for the 2011 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship’s Independents’ Trophy at Thruxton on Sunday, while team-mate Andy Neate battled back from poor luck in the opening race to finish on the fringes of the top ten in the final round of the weekend.Chilton lined up in fourth place in his two-litre turbocharged car for the first race and hounded the leaders throughout. Although he was unable to make progress, it was a solid points haul and he repeated his front running form with another fourth place finish in the second race of the weekend. In the weekend’s finale, Chilton ran wide at the fast Allard corner and hit the barrier while fighting for sixth place. “It was a very sad end to the weekend but I am pleased I was in such a strong car and it stood up well to the crash,” explained Tom. “I was really pushing hard in the race as I was battling with Andrew Jordan’s Vauxhall. I was determined that he wouldn’t get ahead but I think I just pushed too hard and was caught out by some understeer which put me in the barriers. “It is a shame because I thought the car was very fast all weekend. We just need a little bit more to reach the ultimate pace and now we have a month to work on everything before the next rounds at Oulton Park. The car was better here than it was at Donington Park two weeks ago and that was an improvement from Brands Hatch at the start of the year. It shows that we are going in the right direction.”Chilton’s team-mate Andy Neate spun off the track at the start of the opening race of the weekend when he was caught out on cold tyres but his fight back was impressive. He clawed his way back through the pack to 13th place in race two before taking 12th in the finale. Despite being frustrated with his spin, Neate said he was happy with improvements to the hatchback over the course of the weekend.“The car was good all through the weekend but when you have to drive it by the scruff of the neck, it is hard, especially on a circuit like Thruxton which is so demanding on the tyres. That made it difficult to catch up,” said Neate. “In race three, we made the car really loose and it was great. I was able to battle up through the field.“The car is getting stronger every time I drive it and we are going to do some testing before the next round at Oulton Park in June, which is a venue I am really looking forward to.”Team Aon Principal Mike Earle explained that the new car was performing well and more progress was expected as the season unfolds. “We are still learning about the performance of the Focus and Thruxton is a unique track, so to come away with solid points for Tom is an indication of how far we have come. It was a shame that he had his crash, but I was impressed with Andy this weekend. He is really fitting in well to the team and his pace in the third race was great. We have certainly got something we can build on now.”The next rounds of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship take place at Oulton Park in Cheshire on June 4-5.
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