New Malden racing driver Tom Onslow-Cole believes there will be no reason why he can’t mount a British Touring Car title challenge this season, providing he can get on the start line.

The 22-year-old is close to securing a deal to drive for the Team Arena managed Team AON outfit this season alongside former Brooklands College student Tom Chilton.

He will test with the experienced BTCC team in Spain this week before putting the finishing touches to a package that will see him back for a full season for the first time since leaving current manufacturer champions VX Racing in 2008.

Onslow-Cole completed three race weekends in the AON Ford Focus ST towards the end of last summer - securing two points finishes - however doubts over sponsorship for the coming campaign could yet scupper his chances of landing a season-long race seat in 2010.

But he insists his chances of making the grid for the opening race of the season at Thruxton on April 4 are good and Team AON’s track record of success could well see him at the front.

“The deal is still not done but hopefully it will all come together. It could well be the last minute but I’m confident it will happen,” he said.

“There are only six weeks to go to the first race so it is a bit hectic, but I’ve shown I can drop in at the last minute and do well. The year out won’t have affected me.

“Team Arena have a strong history in the competition. They were a late entry last year and unfortunately had to do their testing and development in the public eye on race day.

“Despite that they were able to get on pole and almost secure a race win through Tom on the final weekend.

“The car will be quick. It will be fantastic to get a full-season in and I’m confident I can be up there challenging at the front.”

Potential new team mate Tom Chilton finished 13th in the championship standings last year in a relatively new car and will expect to improve significantly with a full programme of testing under his belt.

But Onslow-Cole, who has followed a similar path to his Reigate-based colleague, is confident he too can take the next step to being a BTCC contender having been a prolific winner in the Renault Clio Cup feeder series as a teenager.

“The two seasons I had in the BTCC before last summer I showed I was capable of going quickly and winning races,” he added.

“I didn’t want to come back to a team that wasn’t going to be competitive and it is clear with Team AON’s track record they will.

“Tom Chilton is going to have the advantage of having done a lot of testing, so he knows the car inside out.

“But he has been really helpful so far and he knows it will make life easier for him if he can have a team mate competing with him at the front of the grid.”