The End of an Era
Tom Chilton is retiring from the BTCC. The #3 Team VERTU Hyundai driver has confirmed that this weekend's Brands Hatch GP finale will be his last in the championship. That brings down the curtain on one of the longest careers the series has ever seen.
The numbers speak for themselves. 562 races. 19 wins. 72 podiums. 20 seasons. An Independents' title. For a huge chunk of the BTCC audience there has never been a grid without Chilton on it.
Back Where It All Began
You could not script a more fitting farewell. Brands Hatch is Chilton's home circuit and the GP layout is where his BTCC story started. He made his debut there in 2002 as a 17-year-old with Barwell Motorsport and stood on the podium on his very first outing. Twenty-four years later he returns to the same circuit to sign off.
"My BTCC career started on the GP circuit in 2002 with a podium finish" Chilton said. "It feels appropriate that my final race will be at the same circuit."
Brands has been good to him over the years. His dominant 2008 win there with Team Halfords ended a three-year wait for victory. When he returned to the BTCC with Power Maxed Racing in 2017 he picked up silverware at the Brands Hatch season opener straight away.
A Career Built on Longevity
Chilton was the youngest driver ever to start a BTCC race when he debuted. Two years later he became the series' youngest-ever winner at the time with victory at Silverstone in 2004. In 2010 he took the Independents' crown in the LPG-powered Ford Focus run by Arena Motorsport and added four pole positions along the way.
After a spell in the World Touring Car Championship he came home in 2017 and never looked back. Motorbase, BTC Racing and Ciceley Motorsport all followed before he settled with EXCELR8 at the start of the Hybrid Era. That partnership became the longest of his career and in 2024 he passed the remarkable milestone of 500 BTCC races.
Going Out While Still Quick
This is not a driver limping towards the exit. Chilton took two wins and six podiums on his way to seventh in the 2025 standings and has added four more podiums this season. He goes to Brands Hatch with a car capable of running at the front and a crowd that will be firmly behind him.
One More Weekend for the #3
Saturday and Sunday at Brands Hatch now carry an extra layer of emotion. Sutton's title is settled but there is still a farewell to be written and the paddock will want to give Chilton a proper send-off. If you are at the circuit this weekend make some noise for the #3. He has more than earned it.