EXCELR8 Motorsport has today confirmed that Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship veteran Tom Chilton will once again form part of its driver line-up for the 2026 season.
Chilton will continue to do battle in Britain’s premier racing series at the wheel of a Hyundai i30 Fastback N backed by award-winning automotive retailer Vertu, with the fourth largest dealer network in the UK having already extended its deal to act as title sponsor of the Droitwich-based team.
The new agreement between Chilton and EXCELR8 marks the first time in his career that the former Independents’ Trophy winner has remained with the same team for five successive seasons and means the defending champions will continue to benefit from the knowledge of one of the most experienced drivers in BTCC history.
Having debuted in the series back in 2002 at the age of just 17, the now 40-year-old has since gone on to make more than 500 BTCC starts, which leaves him fourth on the all-time appearance list.
The 2026 campaign will be Chilton’s 20th season of BTCC competition, with his only time away from the series coming from 2012 through to 2016 when he took up the challenge of racing in the World Touring Car Championship.
The Surrey racer first joined forces with EXCELR8 back in 2022 and has since gone on to make no fewer than 118 starts at the wheel of the Hyundai, scoring four wins and picking up ten podium finishes.
Six of those podiums came during a 2025 programme that proved to be one of his most successful in the series so far, with wins at both Donington Park meetings helping Chilton to end the year seventh in the championship standings.
Having picked up his second-highest seasonal score in the process, Chilton now heads into 2026 with confidence at an all-time high and with his focus firmly on challenging for the overall championship crown.
Tom Chilton said: “I’m absolutely delighted to have extended my stay with EXCELR8 and Team VERTU as there is nowhere else in the paddock I would rather be.
“Considering how long it is since I first joined the BTCC grid, I can honestly say that I’ve never had as much fun as I did this year and that is a reflection of how strong the team is. From top to bottom, every single person was focused on pushing for the very best results, which was reflected in the fact that we came away from 2025 with two of the three titles to our name.
“Having signed up for another season, my goal is clear and that is to challenge for the overall title as winning the BTCC title is why everyone on the grid goes racing. Considering how strong our package was this season, I’m hugely excited to see what 2026 holds when we have further refinements to make to the car and it’s going to seem like a long winter waiting to get down to business for round one!”
Justina Williams, Team Owner, said: “It’s fantastic that Tom will once again be part of our driver line-up for the 2026 season as he has become a hugely important part of the team in recent years.
“The knowledge and experience he brings cannot be underestimated, and his results on track were a key part in us securing championship honours again this year.
“We look forward to plenty more success together next year and have no doubt that Tom will be a contender at the front of the field from the start.”
