It's been a great past six months for works Honda British Touring Car Championship driver Tom Chilton, who has become the youngest ever winner in the series and established himself as a genuine frontrunner in one the most competitive forms of racing in the world.
The undoubted high point of the first half of his 2004 season came at Silverstone, where he charged his way through the field - passing Matt Neal and Anthony Reid on the final lap - to claim a stunning win in his Honda Civic Type-R. Tom also finished on the podium at Brands Hatch and has racked up a host of points finishes elsewhere.
His success has brought him to attention of the wider media and Tom has made a number of television appearances, most notably on ITV's Speed Sunday motorsport magazine show, and the popular children's programme Ministry of Mayhem, where he wowed the audience by actually driving his BTCC car into the studio.
"I was so nervous I was shaking," Tom says of his first appearance Speed Sunday. "But Johnny Herbert told me that everybody gets like that and it made me feel a lot better. I think it's one of those things, the more you do it, the easier it gets."
Tom's rising profile earned him a slot at the prestigious Goodwood Festival of Speed, where he drove Jenson Button's road car, a Honda NSX. Tom's passenger in the car was the daughter of Goodwood owner Lord March, Alexandra.
"Alexandra really enjoyed it. She'd already driven the hill before I took her up and she was amazed at how fast we went. She's been a passenger with many big name drivers in the past and said I was one of the fastest, which was great to hear!"
There has been a long break in the BTCC action this summer because of the cancellation of the British Grand Prix support race. But Tom has kept up his intensive fitness regime and recently took part in the London-Brighton charity cycle ride, raising almost £600 for the British Heart Foundation in the process.
Now his thoughts are on returning to action at Croft at the end of July. His Arena motorsport team have used the break to develop the aerodynamics of the Civic in the windtunnel and the simulation results are very encouraging.
"It looks as though we've reduced drag and increased downforce, so it's a double whammy," says Tom. "But it's all laptop stuff at the moment. Until we actually get it on the car and on the track it will be impossible to say how good it is."
Tom is currently eighth in the BTCC standings with 61 points, but his tally could have been a lot higher were it not for a series of unfortunate glitches. Tom would prefer to forget the first round at Thruxton - "the worst race I have ever driven," he reckons - but since then he has been very consistent. However, a failed spark plug lead cost him points at Silverstone, a sticking throttle scuppered his chances of taking a better result at Oulton Park, while a duff front tyre meant he could not capitalise on his pace at Mondello Park.
"I've been unlucky," he reckons. "None of these problems have been down to me or the team or Honda. They're just unfortunate incidences that just happen sometimes."
Tom will be hoping for a change of luck next time out at Croft when the series resumes on July 25.
Click here for the Tom Chilton web site - designed and built by Racecar
