Chilton and Jackson sign with Motorbase

Tom Chilton will remain at the Motorbase Performance Ford Focus RS squad for 2019, alongside the team’s new recruit Ollie Jackson.

Chilton, who returned to the British Touring Car Championship for 2017 with Power Maxed Racing after a five-year sabbatical, finished third in the standings last year and won one race in the Shredded Wheat-backed Motorbase Ford.

Jackson took his first podium in the category last term in a AMD Tuning Audi S3 during a wet-butdrying race at Brands Hatch in the second race of the season.

The team has another entrants’ licence to run a third car in the series, and is in talks with drivers. An announcement is expected soon.

“I absolutely love the guys at Motorbase, they are such hard workers and I genuinely believe we can go on to take the title from where we started in our first year together,” said Chilton.

Motorbase has a “significant” testing programme planned ahead of the coming campaign, which 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 ’10, and 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.”