FORMULA ONE supremo Bernie Ecclestone is utterly confident his controversial new points system for drivers will be in place next system.

Ecclestone wants the driver who wins the most races to be given the world title. If that had been in place this year, Felipe Massa would have been champion with six wins, rather than Lewis Hamilton, who only had five.

Ecclestone said: "It's going to happen, all the teams are happy. The whole reason for this was that I was fed up with people talking about no overtaking.

"The reason there's no overtaking is nothing to do with the circuit or the people involved, it's to do with the drivers not needing to overtake.

"If you are in the lead and I'm second, I'm not going to take a chance and risk falling off the road or doing something silly to get two more points. If I need to do it to win a gold medal, because the most medals win the world championship, I'm going to do that. I will overtake you.

"This year, we saw on a number of occasions Lewis not overtaking Massa for that reason, if he'd driven for me, tried it and made a mistake, I would have complained. It's just not on that someone can win the world championship without winning a race.”

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RAINING CHAMPION - Tom Chilton shows the style which has won him a drive with Arena for next season

TOM STEPS INTO ARENA

TOM CHILTON - drive

ARENA MOTORSPORT will return to the British Touring Car Championship next season with Tom Chilton in the driver's seat.

Team boss Mike Earle confirmed their entry earlier this week - and they will run as an independent team rather than being backed by a manufacturer.

Earle said: "We have selected Tom as the driver to lead this programme due to his suitability from both an on-track and off-track perspective.

"As a driver, he has a proven track record and we are very excited to be reunited with him after the successes we enjoyed together in 2004 and 2005.

"Everyone at Arena is looking forward to the challenges ahead and we are aiming to return to the winning ways we enjoyed in the BTCC in the past."

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OLD ON, JAMES!

NASCAR pensioner James Hylton will make another attempt to qualify for the Daytona 500 next year – at the grand old age of 74.

Hylton will become the oldest driver to race in NASCAR if he successfully qualifies for the event in February.

He said: "I am thrilled to be able to fulfil the promise that I made to the fans in 2007 of returning for one more Daytona 500.

"My main goals are to become the oldest competitor to ever run the Daytona 500 and, of course, win the race."

EM Motorsports team owner John Carter has promised the veteran a full season if he manages to make the Daytonya 500 starting grid.

Carter confirmed: "Our goal is to run a complete 2009 series with James Hylton driving the EM Motorsports Dodge.”

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TEEN TOM'S TERROR TEST

NOT many youngsters jump straight into a rally car after passing their driving test but that's exactly what will happen to 17-year-old Tom Cave.

The Welsh boy wonder will become the youngest driver to compete in the World Rally Championship next week after passing his driving test.

The Ford Fiesta driver from Aberdovey needed a UK licence in order to be able to drive between stages in the Wales Rally GB.

He said: "I'm delighted to pass my test. It was the last hurdle to get over before I could take the start of the rally and it's a huge relief to have it out of the way.

"Now I can concentrate on the rally and my preparations for the most important motorsport event of my life."

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COULTHARD IN HOT SEAT

DAVID COULTHARD and Eddie Jordan will sit alongside Martin Brundle and anchor Jake Humphrey for the BBC’s F1 coverage next season.

The full line-up includes BBC Radio 5 Live's Jonathan Legard, Lee McKenzie and former ITV pitlane reporter Ted Kravitz, with British legend Murray Walker returning to commentate on the Beeb’s website.