Motorbase announces Chilton, Jackson as first 2019 drivers
Former BTCC Independents Trophy winner Tom Chilton will return to the series this year at the wheel of a Motorbase Performance Ford Focus RS, alongside the team’s new recruit Ollie Jackson.

Chilton, who returned to the BTCC last year after a five-year sabbatical, finished third in the standings in 2019 and won one race in the Shredded Wheat-backed Ford.
Jackson, who has been in the BTCC full-time since 2012, took his first podium in the category last term at the wheel of an AmDTuning Audi S3 during a wet-but-drying race at Brands Hatch in the second race of the season.
The team has another entrants’ licence to run a car in the series, and is in talks with drivers. An announcement is expected soon.
Chilton, 33, said: “I absolutely love the guys at Motorbase, they are such hard workers and I really genuinely believe that we can go on to take the title from where we started in our first year together.
“I think that people forget what it’s like coming into a team for the first year. You have to learn not just every single thing about the car from scratch with all the little key changes, but also everyone in the team, and it’s such a big learning curve in that first season.”
The Kent-based team has a “significant” testing programme planned ahead of the fresh challenge, and that will allow Jackson to get up to speed with the car.
The 34-year-old raced with Motorbase in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB in 2009 and 2010, when he claimed the Pro-Am 1 division spoils in his second season.
Jackson said: “Having had the relationship with [team boss] David [Bartrum], I was lucky enough to test the Focus at the end of last season, and being in a more competitive car proved that I was ready to make the step-up into a race winning team.
“It was a little bit of good fortune that got me that first podium last year, but I think with the extra that everyone puts in at Motorbase, including myself, we should be pushing for more regular podiums this year and hopefully even chasing down that maiden race win.”
Team boss David Bartrum said the objective for the season was to improve on 2019, when Chilton was second in the Independents Trophy driver standings behind championship runner-up Tom Ingram (Toyota).
Bartrum said: “As a team, we made some good steps forward last year, and Chilton showed us his character and work ethic which make him the racer he is. He’s very much a Motorbase driver and I’m looking forward to seeing just how far we can go this year. We have high hopes.
“I’m also really pleased to welcome back a Motorbase original in Jackson. He has shown in previous seasons that he is a very capable BTCC driver, and a chance test at the end of last season showed us just how good he is. He has the experience in the BTCC needed to get results.”
Confirmed 2019 BTCC drivers so far
WSR BMW 125i M Sport - Colin Turkington, Tom Oliphant, Andrew Jordan
Speedworks Motorsport Toyota Corolla - Tom Ingram
Motorbase Performance Ford Focus RS: Tom Chilton, Ollie Jackson
Ciceley Motorsport Mercedes-Benz A-Class - Daniel Rowbottom
AmD Tuning Honda Civic Type R - Sam Tordoff, Rory Butcher
Simpson Racing Honda Civic Type R - Matt Simpson
Team Hard VW CC - Mike Bushell, Carl Boardley, Bobby Thompson, Michael Crees
Excelr8 Motorsport MG6 - Rob Smith
Trade Price Cars Audi S3 - Jake Hill

Tom Chilton, Motorbase Performance Ford Focus
Photo by: JEP / LAT Images

Jordan stays with WSR for third straight BTCC season
Neal, Cammish stay on at Honda BTCC squad

Latest news
Every driver racing in the 2023 Bathurst 12 Hour
The full entry list for the 2023 Bathurst 12 Hour, including 84 drivers from around the world, has been unveiled.
UPDATED: Auer suffers back injury in Rolex 24 practice shunt
Mercedes driver Lucas Auer has suffered a back injury following a violent crash in opening practice for this weekend's Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Team 18 explains Gen3 collaboration
Team 18 has outlined its recent collaboration with rival Supercars teams as they look to complete their frantic Gen3 builds.
Rolex 24: Porsche leads Acura in night practice at Daytona
Matt Campbell put the #7 Penske Porsche Motorsports 963 on top in third practice for the Rolex 24 Hours, just 0.172sec ahead of Filipe Albuquerque in the Wayne Taylor Racing Acura ARX-06.
Motorsport.com writers' most memorable moments of 2022
The season just gone was a memorable one for many of our staff writers, who are fortunate enough to cover motorsport around the world. Here are our picks of the best (and in some cases, most eventful) from 2022.
Ranking the top 10 BTCC drivers of 2021
A refresh in equipment and some returning faces helped contribute to a supremely competitive 2021 British Touring Car Championship campaign. Ash Sutton was crowned a three-time champion, successfully defending his 2020 title, but faced stiff competition in the final year before the switch to hybrid. Motorsport.com picks out the best performers.
Why the BTCC's ballast increase couldn't stop champion Sutton
Ballast will be gone from the BTCC next year as hybrid power enters the scene, but for its final season the maximum was increased from 60kg to 75kg. Despite having to carry that nearly all season, Ash Sutton was always the favourite to pocket a third title - the 27-year-old getting his reward for a season of speed tempered by savvy to nail his opportunities
The much-loved tin-top superstar bowing out at 59
OPINION: It's not often that a driver achieves widespread affection for their personality, as well as their on-track performances. One such individual is Gabriele Tarquini, who will soon bring the curtain down on a remarkable career that has yielded touring car titles on the European and global stage - and, famously, in Britain too
The making of the BTCC's newest superstar
Ash Sutton is on the verge of being crowned a three-time British Touring Car Champion; he seems to have it all. But life hasn't always been straightforward for this superstar of touring cars, as Marcus Simmons has been finding out
Five key plotlines to follow in the 2021 BTCC
It’s been a busy silly season in the BTCC since the chequered flag fell to end the 2020 campaign last November. While last year’s top two have stayed put, there’s been a lot of fat to chew elsewhere, which should result in another fascinating year of tin-top action.
Why a BTCC legend remains defiant at '97 not out'
After a year of enforced absence from the British Touring Car Championship grid, Jason Plato is back and hungrier than ever. Despite stellar opposition and some familiar challenges, the two-time champion still has his eyes focused on the biggest prizes.
The Top 10 BTCC drivers of 2020
The 2020 British Touring Car Championship will go down as a classic in which new winners graced the top step of the podium and an unloved chassis was resurrected into a champion. But who were the year's top performers?
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.