Tom Chilton

[thetool]

Surely the myth of him being anything other than a 100% terrible driver is now well and truly busted. The points comparison between him and his team-mate this season is embarrassing.

[Peat]

I wouldn't say he's terrible. Just very very average.

[redshoes]

The points comparison between his team-mate and everyone else on the grid this season is embarrassing.

[W.A Trichlorostyrene]

Originally Posted by redshoes

The points comparison between his team-mate and everyone else on the grid this season is embarrassing.

I'm surprised you apparently expected much better from him. He has been beaten, and often dominated, by his team-mates most for most of his career, even in the family team. This is his first WTCC season in competitive machinery, againsy arguably one of the very best touring car driver of his generation, so it was always going to bit of the same in 2013.

But at the end of the day he brings a budget. Of course RML would clearly prefer to run Huff or Menu if they could.

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by W.A Trichlorostyrene

I'm surprised you apparently expected much better from him.

I wasn't expecting much better. I was trying to point out that any comparisons to Muller's points score are somewhat flawed. Looking at the championship table we could conclude that the likes of Huff and Tarquini were equally talentless.

[thetool]

Originally Posted by redshoes

Huff and Tarquini were equally talentless.

But they are in clearly inferior machinery.

[porsche962fan]

let's analyze Tom's tin top career

- 2006 BTCC Failed to get any wins while Giovanardi new in the championship managed 2 in a clearly inferior car. Gio finished 5th, Chilton 7th (not forget Gio didn't know most of the tracks !!!! )

- 2007 Gio champion while Chilton only 9th Yeah it's really hard to impossible to beat Gio but soo low

- 2008 Partnering Shedden at Team Dynamcs , Shedden 7th while Chilton 10th

- 2009 No stable team mate

- 2010 We all know TOC had the upper hand on him all the season and the scanadalos team orders....

- 2011 no stable team mate in 3rd car (TOC), yes he had Neate beaten but that hardly is an achivement....

- 2012 WTCC was clearly beaten by James Nash in his own team

- 2013 again underpeforming, only MacDowell is so far the only Chevy driver under him in the standings

SO AM I TOO HARSH ???

[medius]

Very harsh. Touring car racing on any stage is so unpredictable that it doesn't take much for a good driver to look average with bad luck, accidents etc. Many great drivers haven't shone in certain situations. Like Redshoes says, Yvan is the class of the field this year, so by your reckoning, everyone else is rubbish? Nope.

[Icebaby]

Like a few I thought or hoped Chilton would at least give Muller a run for his money in some of the races most likely the reverse grid however the points difference is disappointing to be mildly kind.

The only time I saw flashes of champion in Chilton was in 2005 when Arena ran a sole black Honda Civic which he performed brilliantly in under Mike Earle.

To judge Chilton fully was only possible when he was in a winning car which happened with 888 with the BTCC Vectra which he did not perform well in and also this year in an RML Chervolet, the same car set up that took Huff to the title, again he is failed so far.

Results will always speak for themselves.

[davyboy]

Here we go again... another rich kid bashing fest !

There are only two scenario here :

o Tom Chilton participates in the various touring car championships and in the process underwrites professional teams and provides opportunities [that otherwise wouldn't exist] for some of the world's greatest touring car exponents to entertain us.

o Tom Chilton stays at home, keeps his dad's cash pile intact and none of the above occurs.

Which would you prefer ?

[McArthur252]

Originally Posted by davyboy

Here we go again... another rich kid bashing fest !

There are only two scenario here :

o Tom Chilton participates in the various touring car championships and in the process underwrites professional teams and provides opportunities [that otherwise wouldn't exist] for some of the world's greatest touring car exponents to entertain us.

o Tom Chilton stays at home, keeps his dad's cash pile intact and none of the above occurs.

Which would you prefer ?

Agreed.

Let us not forget that both BTCC and WTCC are extremely competitive grids, filled with extremely quick and competent racing drivers, and it takes more then good luck, team orders and money to win in either of these fields (although it undoubtedly helps).

He may not be a world beater by any stretch of the imagination, but to label him as a terrible driver is harsh IMO.

[porsche962fan]

Originally Posted by McArthur252

Agreed.

Let us not forget that both BTCC and WTCC are extremely competitive grids, filled with extremely quick and competent racing drivers, and it takes more then good luck, team orders and money to win in either of these fields (although it undoubtedly helps).

He may not be a world beater by any stretch of the imagination, but to label him as a terrible driver is harsh IMO.

I think that's the PROBLEM the grids are too much filled with pay driver this days , even back in the 70s , 80s there were pay drivers on the grid but the really good ones could get a seat

this days when you see the likes of Giovanardi, Menu, Rydel , (and to an extent Huff ) not getting a seat at the top team where they deserve and some average at best rich boy gets the seat instead if just agravates the "hate" on them

it's more a frustration with the whole situation rather than Chilton himself for most I guess , it's just the Chilton brothers have become a symbol of this (terrible) times

and something else regarding sponsorship , banning TABACCO advertisers was the most stupid thing ever for motorsport , with lots of money from those top teams perhaps could have employed competent drivers instead without having to rely on rich boys who may not be so good behind the wheel

[Bramzel]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

this days when you see the likes of Giovanardi, Menu, Rydel , (and to an extent Huff ) not getting a seat at the top team where they deserve and some average at best rich boy gets the seat instead if just agravates the "hate" on them

Without Chilton no Muller
Without Dudukalo/Kozlovskiy no Thompson (or Tarquini last year)
Without Münnich no Basseng or Huff

Accept that they're there and focus on the drivers up front driving there because of them It'll make your life much easier!

[Jimmy Magnusson]

Originally Posted by Bramzel

Without Chilton no Muller
Without Dudukalo/Kozlovskiy no Thompson (or Tarquini last year)
Without Münnich no Basseng or Huff

Accept that they're there and focus on the drivers up front driving there because of them It'll make your life much easier!

Not just accept, Chilton is a cool dude and I would miss him if he was to disappear. The man is unlikely to win a major championship but he's won like six or seven BTCC races, that's pretty decent. Plus he's been around for so long now he's no longer a kid which always makes it easier to like someone.

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

and something else regarding sponsorship , banning TABACCO advertisers was the most stupid thing ever for motorsport , with lots of money from those top teams perhaps could have employed competent drivers instead without having to rely on rich boys who may not be so good behind the wheel

It wasn't. Even though I'm a dyed in the wool motor sport fan, there is no way I [or anyone else for that matter] can justify people dying of smoking related diseases in order that 'competent drivers' can be employed by top teams. Relying on 'rich boys' is a much better solution.

[porsche962fan]

Originally Posted by davyboy

It wasn't. Even though I'm a dyed in the wool motor sport fan, there is no way I [or anyone else for that matter] can justify people dying of smoking related diseases in order that 'competent drivers' can be employed by top teams. Relying on 'rich boys' is a much better solution.

sorry I grew up with motorsport sponsored by Tabacoo and guess what I don't smoke

If someone starts to smoke just because he sees a big logo on a racing car than he is an imbecile plain and simple

I regard big tabacco advertising as a competition between them to get the folks who already smoke

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

I think that's the PROBLEM the grids are too much filled with pay driver this days , even back in the 70s , 80s there were pay drivers on the grid but the really good ones could get a seat

I think we need to accept that we're not in the 70s or 80s anymore.

Back when manufacturers pumped large amounts of cash into TC racing, drivers did not need to bring funds with them.
Nowadays, teams regularly rely on a paying driver for funding and so the amount of seats available reduces.

The likes of the Chiltons are the solution to the problem, the cause goes back a lot further to identifying a suitable funding stream. I think Chilton et al should be commended for helping to keep the sport alive.

[werner]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

and something else regarding sponsorship , banning TABACCO advertisers was the most stupid thing ever for motorsport , with lots of money from those top teams perhaps could have employed competent drivers instead without having to rely on rich boys who may not be so good behind the wheel

I don't think the people who banned tobacco-advertising (not only on racingcars, but almost everywhere) where really concerned about the effect on professional racingdrivers, but more with getting re-elected and (hopefully) health of the population.

[Mike Sheraton]

Sounds like someone is being a bit too nostalgic...
First bashing chilton and now fighting the cause for tobbaco advertisement..
I think you should read the 'revved up' section in last weeks autosport, which really does sum up the current racing well.
We do have it good these days and drivers like tom are part of that (with funding and talent too).
Its a shame that some top drivers cant get drives, but we have to accept that and not go rich boy bashing, as its not their fault, the WTCC's hardly over subscribed so he's not exactly holding a valuable place on the grid, and RML could run a third car if a 'top' driver found the budget... but they can't so thats that.

[Secret squirrel]

My god, what a pointless utter load of rubbish this thread is.....did somebody just wake up and decide hmmm lets pick on someone who is more well off than I am......stibks of jealousy, grow up folks, did you expect chilton to beat muller........? Mullers been in that car for years and knows it like the back of his hand, its not just about "knowing the tracks" now.....who you going to pick on next......

[Andrew Abbott]

A race track is a huge facility though - the operator and owner deserves to make a good profit on it.

[Thorney]

Originally Posted by AndySpeed

A race track is a huge facility though - the operator and owner deserves to make a good profit on it.

Quite agree, in fact I'd typed a long detailed answer with all the numbers and how they stack up but decided better of it really. Lets just say that the playing ground is not level and motorport is unique as a business model in this regard, every other form of sport if there is a gate fee for paying public the participants get a cut.

[keviiinn]

I wouldn't call Tom Chilton awful, he's clearly a midpack driver at best though. He's better than guys like Tom Boardman and Fernando Monje but he's not as good as guys like Oriola or O'Young.

Yes he's in the best car, and if Menu or Huff were in that second RML car, they'd surely be going toe to toe with Muller.

Speaking of Muller, how well do you guys think he'd be doing if he was in inferior machinery like the BMW or Lada? I think he'd challenge for wins but would probably be doing about as well as guys like Tom Coronel.

[Bramzel]

Originally Posted by keviiinn

I wouldn't call Tom Chilton awful, he's clearly a midpack driver at best though. He's better than guys like Tom Boardman and Fernando Monje but he's not as good as guys like Oriola or O'Young.

Yes he's in the best car, and if Menu or Huff were in that second RML car, they'd surely be going toe to toe with Muller.

Speaking of Muller, how well do you guys think he'd be doing if he was in inferior machinery like the BMW or Lada? I think he'd challenge for wins but would probably be doing about as well as guys like Tom Coronel.

I would rate O'Young among Boardman and Monje rather than with Oriola. Oriola is one of the stars of tomorrow, while I haven't seen O'Young showing that potential.

About Muller: that's tricky. I've got the feeling that he would be competative even on a lawnmower...

[Craner Curves]

Originally Posted by keviiinn

Speaking of Muller, how well do you guys think he'd be doing if he was in inferior machinery like the BMW or Lada? I think he'd challenge for wins but would probably be doing about as well as guys like Tom Coronel.

He would still be up there challenging for podiums. He's one of those drivers who can extract results from a car that doesn't deserve to be there. You only have to look at the performances at the start and end of his BTCC career to see that, with the Audi, Vectra and Astra SportHatch.