Arena Motorsport closes

Minxy · 5 Jan 2013 at 11:37

http://www.touringcartimes.com/article.php?id=8495

We're unsure on the bit about Max taking up Aon sponsorship since we'd heard otherwise but who knows perhaps it will turn out to be true.

All the lads who had put so many hours and so much dedication into making the team work were laid off on the 28th December and are now out looking for jobs elsewhere.

I wonder where Tom will end up teamwise.

Skeeter · 5 Jan 2013 at 12:51

A combination of Max taking a bunch of funding to Marussia and poor results in WTCC meaning Ford pull out, maybe?

Its a shame. I hope Tom gets a drive, but its got to be a bit late now? Are there any factory teams in WTCC this year? I must admit I lost interest in the Chevy Showcase a while back.

NightSt@lk3r · 5 Jan 2013 at 21:00

Tom should come back to Sports car racing.

Minxy · 5 Jan 2013 at 21:04

Skeeter said:
A combination of Max taking a bunch of funding to Marussia and poor results in WTCC meaning Ford pull out, maybe?

Its a shame. I hope Tom gets a drive, but its got to be a bit late now? Are there any factory teams in WTCC this year? I must admit I lost interest in the Chevy Showcase a while back.

Honda and Lada are both entering teams. Honda entered the last couple of races last year with fairly good results for a fresh car.

Arena didn't have any financial backing from Ford unfortunately which it seems they could have done with.

MagicBoy · 5 Jan 2013 at 21:15

It's unfortunate. I'd heard the WTCC programme was a three year one with a little backing from Ford so don't know what happened there. I don't really pay much attention to WTCC if I'm honest. Max's GP2 car was sponsored by Aon so I wouldn't be surprised if the money was used to help get him into a Marussia

Skeeter · 5 Jan 2013 at 22:03

Yeah the link between Aon and Arena may have gone, but it doesn't mean Aon won't follow Max off their own back.

NightSt@lk3r said:
Tom should come back to Sports car racing.

Tom did sports car racing? I can only remember him being in touring since he was a teenager?

Minxy · 5 Jan 2013 at 22:53

Skeeter said:
Yeah the link between Aon and Arena may have gone, but it doesn't mean Aon won't follow Max off their own back.

Tom did sports car racing? I can only remember him being in touring since he was a teenager?

He drove for Zytek in 2005 according to Wiki, I think those are sports cars but I didn't realise he'd done it either.

NightSt@lk3r · 5 Jan 2013 at 23:04

He also did in 2007, was very quick unfortunately Arena were just not capable of preparing a reliable car.

Skeeter · 5 Jan 2013 at 23:12

Zytek run prototypes. Did he run those or a GT?

Edit: looks like both him and Max drove the P1 prototype.

kaiowas · 6 Jan 2013 at 00:54

Skeeter said:
Yeah the link between Aon and Arena may have gone, but it doesn't mean Aon won't follow Max off their own back.

Chilton Snr is somewhere high up within Aon isn't he? Hence why they fund his kids racing.

MagicBoy · 6 Jan 2013 at 01:21

Yeah, he was CEO of another company that Aon acquired.

Skeeter · 6 Jan 2013 at 16:05

He's retired from that role now.