Excelr8 Motorsport signs Chilton for 2022 BTCC campaign

The 36-year-old racer has a wealth of touring car experience, having made his debut in the championship back in 2002.

After several successful years in BTCC, Chilton made the switch to WTCC, finishing third overall in 2017.

Chilton second stint in BTCC started off impressively with third overall in 2018 before back-to-back 10th place finishes in the championship.

He will make his debut for the team when the new season gets underway at Donington Park in April.

Speaking of the announcement, he said: “I’m massively excited to announce this deal with EXCELR8 for 2022, and I’m going back to what I know with a front-wheel-drive touring car. There were a lot of teams interested in doing a deal for this season in both the BTCC and elsewhere, but having spoken to Justina [Williams], it was clear to see how serious the team is about winning – and that is backed up by the strong commercial partners that are in place.

“There is so much work that has gone into putting the right people in place, from the engineers behind to the scenes to the drivers in the cars, and I think we’ll all be able to work together to help the team move forwards again this year. 

“I’m particularly looking forward to working with Tom [Ingram] as I feel he is a quick driver who has a similar driving style to me and with our experience, and the speed that Dan has also shown in the past, I believe we already have one of the strongest line-ups on the grid.”

2022 sees the introduction of hybrid technology into the championship and Chilton feels the experienced he gained in ETCR could give him an early advantage during the early part of the season.

“The new hybrid system is going to mix things up a bit this year but I feel the experience I gained last year in ETCR is something that will give us an advantage,” he added. “I was working with some of the smartest guys in the business and was able to learn a huge amount that we can try and benefit from this season, particularly early on when everyone is trying to get up to speed.

“Having won an Independents’ title and been in the top three overall in the past, I really want to challenge for the overall title, and my full focus is on trying to achieve that goal with EXCELR8 this season. Roll on the opening rounds!”