What do sponsors get out of motorsport? I suppose it’s a mixture of straight advertising, softer brand awareness, corporate hospitality, and business to business opportunities. But sometimes it’s more interesting than that. Okay: slightly more interesting.

The Chiltons & Aon

It’s hardly news that Tom Chilton has a privileged position at Team Aon. As much was obvious after the appalling way team orders were employed last year in the BTCC. Tom Onslow-Cole was the man who lost out, and it’s great news that he’s recently found a new home in the YRC-backed AmD Milltek VW Golf.

Tom Chilton, on the other hand, was confirmed at Team Aon for 2011 way back last year.

The explanation is simple: Tom’s dad is Grahame Chilton, chairman of Aon Benfield and vice chairman of Aon Group. Nothing particularly sinister or remarkable in that – there are a lot of dads financially propping up their sons.

What’s impressive is the speed with which the sponsorship was forthcoming. Grahame Chilton took up his position in August 2008, when Benfield – of which he was chief executive and 10.7 percent shareholder – was sold to Aon. By March 2009, Team Aon was born. I reckon seven months is pretty bloody good going.

Younger brother Max Chilton was also sponsored by Aon in 2009, driving for Carlin in British F3. And more recently in GP2.

The Chiltons & Lego

That’s not the only curious association with the Chiltons. I’ve written about their relationship with Lego, specifically the video games, before. Unfortunately, it still confounds me.

There was Lego Star Wars for Tom in 2004 BTCC, and Lego Batman for Max in 2008 British F3.

I still can’t find any sign of Graham Chilton at the developer of those games, Traveller’s Tales – whose logo was also on Tom’s BTCC Honda Civic. But I have found him in the credits of Lego Star Wars, being thanked by TT Games – parent company of Traveller’s Tales. But I’ve no idea whether that’s cause or effect of the BTCC sponsorship. Internet avenues exhausted, I give up.

John George, JAG & Go Mobile

I’ve written about John George before too, and his pre-2010 BTCC entries carrying branding for his mobile phone retailer JAG.

So when he was confirmed at GoMobileUK.com with Tech-Speed, the sight of a mobile phone retailer rang bells. And indeed he does have links with the company.

JAG went into pre-pack administration in 2009, following a failed attempt to merge with Go Mobile in 2008. That merger was revisited in 2010, but ended with JAG being sold to Go Mobile.

That was John George’s exit from the industry, but he clearly held on to sufficient links to encourage Go Mobile to back a BTCC campaign. It means he’s driving, which is a touch unnecessary, but if that’s the price we have to pay to have Paul O’Neill in a competitive car, then that’s a price well worth paying.

Paul O’Neill & Sunshine.co.uk

On that subject, it’s charming that it was previous Tech-Speed sponsor Sunshine.co.uk that purchased the 2010 title winning Chevrolet Cruze for O’Neill. I’m not sure if he has any relationship with the company, but nothing is immediately forthcoming. And that’s more than enough digging around for now, so we’ll leave it there.

UPDATE: It doesn’t stop there! A nice nugget just pointed out by @Pete93Allen on Twitter: O’Neill is godfather to Sunshine.co.uk MD Chris Brown’s newborn son, as @PaulONeill29 announced himself on Twitter. Probably a pre-existing relationship then…