Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing driver Aron Taylor-Smith today unveiled a striking new livery for the 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season.
On the eve of another action-packed campaign in the UK’s premier tin-top series, the Irishman lifted the covers on a new-look paint scheme for his Vauxhall Astra challenger, to tie in with the team’s re-branding to Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing for the 2024 season.
Using PMR’s signature yellow, navy and black colours, the livery reflects that new title partnership with Evans Halshaw, as well as offering remarkable value-for-money to Taylor-Smith’s loyal network of partners, each of which benefits from trackside exposure to over 40,000 fans per event, plus live, free-to-air television coverage on ITV4.
The livery reveal also co-incides with the Dubliner’s first test of pre-season, as both driver and team look to build on the synergy that yielded two outright podiums and six Independents class victories in 2023 – the 33-year-old’s strongest season yet since returning to the grid in ’21.
Taylor-Smith will also have a familiar face alongside him in Mikey Doble, who narrowly missed out on the Jack Sears Trophy title for newcomers in his rookie season last term.
Using their combination of raw speed, experience and race craft, and supported by a number of the BTCC paddock’s most-experienced off-track personnel, the ambition is to return the team to winning ways in the near future.
The calendar, which again features 30 races held across 10 weekends at all of the UK’s premier venues, including the likes of Silverstone, Brands Hatch and Oulton Park.
Donington Park, Leicestershire, hosts the opening three rounds of the 2024 season on 27-28 April.
Aron Taylor Smith (#40) said:
“We’ve only been Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing for a few days, but here we are already unveiling what I believe is the best-looking car on the grid!
“I’m always really excited for the livery reveal, not just because it feels like a point in the winter where things begin to ramp up for Donington, but also, it’s a fantastic opportunity to showcase the network of people I have behind me.
“It sounds cliché, but this really is a team effort. I always say that I see myself as the final part of jigsaw that encompasses everyone – the team, my sponsors – it’s my name in the window, but really, I’m just their representative out on track.
“That’s a pressure I really thrive on, and I’m pushing like mad for these final few weeks to go out there and begin the season on a positive note for them. Last year I really felt like I re-established myself in the BTCC, and the objective now is to build on that to even greater heights in 2024.”
Aron Taylor-Smith extended his lead in the Independents Trophy and his race-winning potential once again as the British Touring Car Championship resumed at Brands Hatch Indy last weekend [11-12 May].
After a double victory in-class and a strong points haul at the Donington Park season-opener, the Irishman and his Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing team arrived at the iconic 1.2-mile Kent venue keen to build on recent promise.
Promise translated to performance out on-track right from the get-go, with the Dubliner fastest in the opening practice session on board his Vauxhall Astra challenger.
Among undoubtedly the most-competitive grid globally in touring car racing, Taylor-Smith was brutally denied a chance to repeat his qualifying form from Donington, his fastest time only a tenth shy of those in the coveted ‘Quick Six’ shootout.
That put the 34-year-old back in the pack in P14, ahead of three typically action-packed races, staged in front of a capacity crowd, the Taylor-Smith partner network, and millions more via ITV4’s live television coverage on Sunday.
In the opener, a lightning getaway immediately moved Taylor-Smith up three places, before a bold dive to the inside of Paddock Hill Bend on multiple World Touring Car Champion Rob Huff in the closing stages of the race duly promoted Taylor-Smith to tenth.
If the first race was an exhibition of the race craft that has made Taylor-Smith a 20-time podium finisher in the UK’s premier tin-top series, the second was a textbook example of his tenacity.
Heavy contact from another car at the Druids hairpin knocked the Vauxhall Astra sideways through the grass. Quick footwork on the pedals from Taylor-Smith straightened the hatchback up and, after re-joining, he duly worked his way past several cars, despite being on the less-favoured Medium compound tyres, back to tenth.
Benefitting from the reverse-grid draw and lining up on the front row for the finale, quick reflexes promoted Taylor-Smith to the race lead, only for a robust move at Clearways to drop him back to second.
Conserving both tyres and Hybrid deployment in preparation for a fightback, Taylor-Smith was then hit from behind into Paddock, shuffling him back to fourth in a race that could have been for the #40.
Albeit tinged with disappointment, the result only served to emphasize the progress made by Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing over the past twelve months; for perspective, at the same event twelve months ago, the team managed a solitary P12 finish.
The net result of all three races moves Taylor-Smith ten points clear of team-mate Doble at the top of the Independent Trophy standings.
Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing remain the team to beat in the Independent Teams’ standings, with a 22-point advantage over their nearest rival.
The BTCC reconvenes in a fortnight at Snetterton’s 300 circuit [25-26 May].
Aron Taylor-Smith (#40) said:
“All in all, this has been another really positive weekend for me and the whole team at Brands Hatch.
“Throughout Saturday, we were right in the mix as one of the fastest cars on track, and with the support of the whole team at Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing, I was able to go into race day with a very clearly-defined strategy for how we wanted to attack the day.
“Two top-ten finishes despite some setbacks gave us a really solid foundation to then go aggressive with the soft tyres in race three, and a victory was definitely on the cards after getting the lead at the start, with the better tyres and plenty of Hybrid use in hand.
“I fought as hard as I could to keep it, but it was classic touring car racing – door-to-door action, no quarter given – but I enjoyed every second of it and was glad to put on a show for everybody out in the sun watching us, and on television at home.
“To get two more Independent wins, sure up that championship lead and be fighting at the front end has really validated for me that we’re on the right path, and I’ve no doubt we’ll live up to that potential in the near future.”
Aron Taylor-Smith’s trademark resilience paid dividends in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Thruxton last weekend [8-9 June], helping him to recover from a high-speed crash in qualifying to score a hat-trick of Independent race wins.
The 2.4-mile Hampshire circuit – often billed as the fastest in the UK – has been a happy hunting ground for the Dubliner in previous years, and Taylor-Smith touched down keen to extend his lead in the Independent standings, and to once again showcase the race-winning potential of his Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing-run Vauxhall Astra.
Promise in practice – two top-four appearances – should have translated to performance in the all-important qualifying shootout on Saturday afternoon but, having easily cleared Q1, a high-speed crash at Goodwood whilst pushing in Q2 caused extensive left-rear damage to the car.
Having limped the car back to the pits, a stellar turnaround from the team enabled Taylor-Smith to re-join the session in the dying minutes.
With no time to perform the usual tyre warm-up procedure or apply a setup to the car, Taylor-Smith’s work was always cut out, but nevertheless, he was able to secure P12 on the grid, with a time just a tenth of a second adrift of team-mate Mikey Doble ahead.
In race trim, however, Taylor-Smith was able to recover the weekend, using the nous, racecraft and ‘forward-facing’ attitude that has netted the 34-year-old four BTCC victories and over 20 podium finishes outright across his career.
Thruxton always produces action-packed racing, and Taylor-Smith was able to capitalise on the chaos to make progress in the first of three ITV4-televised contests, rising two places to round out the top-ten, and secure a sixth Independent win of the campaign.
He repeated the feat again in race two, passing Chilton’s Hyundai before taking the chequered flag a commendable ninth, plus another Independent triumph. The result also earnt Aron a spot in the coveted reverse-grid draw for race three.
Unfortunately, luck went against the Irishman on this occasion, but from ninth on the grid, Taylor-Smith mucked in with a host of the championship’s leading lights to emerge eighth, underlining once again the car’s potential in race trim, and another ‘Indy’ win to boot.
The net result of all three races means Taylor-Smith extends his lead over Doble in the Independent standings to 10 points, with Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing similarly bridging the gap to their nearest rivals among the Independent Teams.
Oulton Park’s Island circuit hosts the next three rounds of the 2024 season on 22-23 June.
Aron Taylor-Smith (#40) said:
“My overriding feeling leaving Thruxton is immense pride, both in the team and myself, for showing resilience and bouncing back from a huge crash in qualifying to achieve three top-ten finishes, and Independent wins, on Sunday.
“It’s always been a good circuit for the Vauxhall Astra, and I’ve enjoyed some great results here in the past, so the potential to do well was always there, and it’s nice to execute it, even with such a big setback, so full credit to everyone for their incredible work.
“I feel as though we’re really starting to establish ourselves now as a credible force up at the front, and race three was very encouraging in that regard, mixing it with the likes of Tom Ingram, Jake Hill, and keeping a whole host of fantastic drivers behind despite pressure.
“We’ve got a couple of weeks to reset and keep learning ahead of Oulton. It’s a track I love, and where I’ve won in the past, so on paper all the ingredients are there for another positive weekend, and for us to make another step forward.”
Aron Taylor-Smith scored a first outright podium of the season in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship after another impressive showing last weekend [22-23 June] at a sun-scorched Oulton Park.
The UK’s premier touring car category reconvened at the picturesque, lakeside Cheshire circuit for the final event before the summer break, with Taylor-Smith arriving on the back of a battling drive to three top-ten finishes last time out at Thruxton.
Tackling the high-speed, somewhat unforgiving 2.2-mile Island circuit, the Irishman put in another commendable effort in qualifying, steering his Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing-run Vauxhall Astra to eighth on the grid.
Lining up there in front of a capacity crowd, plus millions more live on ITV4, the Dubliner opted to play the long game, strategy-wise, and take the pain of the slower, less-favoured Hard compound tyre for the opening contest, giving him a pace disadvantage to the cars around.
In spite of that, Taylor-Smith used all his racing nous and experience to not only fend off a chasing pack littered with some of the BTCC’s biggest names, but even improved a spot to take the chequered flag in seventh, first among the Independent runners.
His mandatory race on the Hard tyre dispensed with, the 34-year-old switched to the softs, and with it found the extra pace needed to break into the top-five – after surviving a first-corner scare in race two.
A lightning getaway put Taylor-Smith in the frame to make up places on the inside line through the right-hander at Old Hall. There, pinned to the apex, the field closed up in typical touring car fashion, with contact in the pack spinning one of the BMWs around directly ahead.
Quick reflexes meant Taylor-Smith avoided the impact but delayed him. Once released again, however, the #40 Vauxhall Astra made quick progress through the pack, soon catching up to the leading quartet.
Despite applying race-long pressure to the series’ chief title protagonists, a risk-free opportunity to pass never materialised. Taylor-Smith opted to take the points and crossed the line an impressive fifth, plus a second Independents win of the season – and tenth of the season - to add to his earlier triumph.
‘Lady Luck’ opted to pay Taylor-Smith a visit on this occasion, and the coveted reverse grid draw for race three placed him on the front row, alongside team-mate Mikey Doble.
The two Vauxhall Astras made a strong start in the final race before the summer break, fending off Jake Hill’s fast-starting BMW. Taylor-Smith defended valiantly until two-thirds distance, giving Doble an opportunity to build a gap, before Hill finally eased past at the Hairpin.
Still running third, Aron then deployed the same ‘elbows-out’ approach to Hill’s nearest title challenger, Tom Ingram, successfully keeping the Hyundai at bay to score his first overall podium of the season with third.
The net result of three action-packed races at Oulton Park is an improved seventh overall for Taylor-Smith in the Drivers’ standings, and a healthy 13-point lead over Doble in the Independents Trophy.
Their combined efforts have moved Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing further ahead in the Independent Teams’ standings, now 55 points clear at the halfway stage in the campaign.
The BTCC returns to action after a one-month hiatus at Croft Circuit on 27-28 July.
Aron Taylor Smith (#40) said:
“I’m so delighted to end the first half of the season with this result. To be back on the podium is great, not just for me, but for the whole team at Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing.
“The work that this team puts in to provide me with such a competitive car, as we’ve had at each of the five events so far, is staggering. I’m just the final part in a proper team effort, so it’s great to bring home some silverware for them – and Mikey was so close to the win! He drove brilliantly.
“Overall, I’m feeling really positive heading into the break. We’re an established force back at the front of the championship now, which was always the goal heading into this year. Every time we’re in and around the front runners now, we’re able to take the fight to them on merit, which is a great step forward, building on the foundations of last year.
“To be comfortably out front in the Independents Trophy as well is a great effort. Nothing comes easy in this championship – over a decade in it have taught me that – so it’s another really good sign that we’re moving in the right direction.
“I’m looking forward to a few weeks off to reset, re-focus and then come back for the second half of the season aiming for even greater heights.”
It’s half-time in the 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, and Aron Taylor-Smith has reflected positively on his campaign to-date.
Continuity has paid dividends so far for the Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing star, who enters the series’ annual summer break as the runaway leader in the Independents Trophy, steering his Vauxhall Astra to 10 class victories from 15 races to open up a 13-point advantage over nearest rival and team-mate, Mikey Doble.
Taylor-Smith is also impressing in the outright stakes, with a podium finish and a perfect points-scoring streak so far this campaign putting him seventh overall, in and amongst the championship’s leading names.
So, with a few weeks left until the UK’s premier tin-top series returns to action at Croft, we sat down with the Dubliner to reflect on a few of his favourite moments from the campaign so far.
From Zero to Hero at Thruxton
Thruxton has long been among the best circuits for the Power Maxed Racing-run Vauxhall Astra, boasting some of the car’s best qualifying and race results over the years.
It’s also a circuit well-suited to Taylor-Smith’s driving style, with the Irishman a previous pole-sitter around what is often dubbed “the UK’s fastest circuit”.
New for 2024 is the BTCC’s new “Quick Six” qualifying system, more closely mirroring the format used in other high-tier motorsport categories, such as Formula 1, and placing an extra emphasis on performing in each of the three sessions to achieve a good starting spot.
Having cleared the first of three sessions with relative ease, Taylor-Smith span at high speed through the right-hander at Goodwood, hitting the barriers on the inside of the circuit. After limping the car back to the pits, a stellar effort by the Power Maxed Racing crew allowed him back out, but with no time to set the car up or perform any meaningful repairs, P12 was the best that could be achieved.
In race trim on Sunday, however, the 34-year-old re-paid their efforts in fine style, storming through the pack to claim a hat-trick of both Independent race victories and top-ten finishes.
“The buzz word for that Thruxton weekend was definitely ‘teamwork’,” reflects Taylor-Smith.
“I’m still in shock at how quickly the team was able to fix the car in qualifying and get us back out there. There’s no doubt in my mind that we’d have been up there in the battle for pole, but for that small mistake, but these are the fine margins in motorsport.
“At least we got an opportunity to show what the car was capable of on Sunday and re-pay that hard work from the mechanics, having some really good battles with a whole number of the championship’s big names, and walking away with a clean sweep of Independent wins, too.”
Dancing with the Rain Gods at Snetterton
Teams in the BTCC are no stranger to tyre strategy, with the rules mandating the use of three different Goodyear compounds throughout each race weekend.
Also easy to predict – ironically - is the unpredictable nature of the Great British Weather, with this year’s Snetterton event lurching dramatically from sunshine to intermittent, but torrential, rain showers.
Despite heavy showers earlier in the day, Taylor-Smith and the Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing team noticed on their way to the grid a drying line forming around the 2.99-mile Norfolk circuit, aided by support races prior to the second BTCC race.
They went bold on strategy, opting to pit at the end of the formation lap to bolt on the slick tyres and – for a few laps at least – the result paid dividends.
Taylor-Smith emerged from the pits and went on an immediate charge, passing some of the series’ leading names with ease, and lapping over five seconds per lap quicker than the race leaders, all still on wet tyres.
ITV’s commentary team predicted an unlikely storm through to victory as Taylor-Smith’s Vauxhall Astra lit up the timing screens, but the weather had other ideas. A second, heavy rain shower in the closing laps rescued those on the grooved rubber, and Taylor-Smith duly finished P12.
“We’d have probably won that race, if not for that second rain shower,” recalls Taylor-Smith. “The decision to go onto the slicks was probably brave, in hindsight, but those sorts of races are a lottery, and we were a bit further back, so it was totally worth the gamble.
“The car came alive on the slicks so instantly we knew we were looking pretty good. The gaps were coming down at a rate of knots over the next few laps and, honestly, we weren’t even using the best of the tyres as the track was still drying, so that delta probably would have continued to go up and up.
“Unfortunately, the rain gods had other ideas, but it still made for a great show on the telly!”
Battle for the Ages at Brands Hatch
Having steadily climbed through the order across the first two races at Brands Hatch, ‘Lady Luck’ extended a hand to Taylor-Smith, and he was promoted to the front row for the reverse grid finale.
A lightning start quickly promoted Taylor-Smith to the lead on the first run through Paddock Hill Bend, but just a few corners later, he was shuffled back by a ‘classic touring car move’ from eventual winner, Ronan Pearson.
Taylor-Smith then engaged in a battle for the ages with Pearson’s team-mate, Tom Chilton. Conserving both tyre performance and his Hybrid energy in readiness to mount a fight back for the race lead, the two ran nose-to-tail for several laps.
Unfortunately, heavy contact from behind after an attempted pass by Chilton pushed Taylor-Smith wide at Paddock and through the gravel. Aron kept his foot on the gas, re-joining and going on to take a commendable fourth.
“It’s a battle that people are still talking to me about now, several race weekends on,” says Taylor-Smith. “The car felt fantastic in that last race, and it was good to have a proper, old-school touring car race up at the front.
“Obviously, we can look back and say ‘we could have won that one’, but it’s honestly just so great to be back competing at the sharp end, that we can take the positives from it, and we still scored some good points.”
Returning to the podium at Oulton Park
Taylor-Smith is no stranger to the outright BTCC podium, having visited it 21 times over the course of his career to-date, but his most recent at Oulton Park undoubtedly ranks up there with the best.
Starting on the front row behind Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing team-mate Mikey Doble, Taylor-Smith made a strong start and successfully fended off the fast-starting BMW of Jake Hill behind.
Playing a ‘rear gunner’ role in the opening laps to try and preserve the result for the team, Taylor-Smith lost second spot to the BMW eventually but was still able to hold off a queue of championship contenders to score third and make it a double podium for the team as the last act before the summer break.
“I was so conscious during that race that, if you let one car past, you’ll be down to P15 in the blink of an eye,” Taylor-Smith explains.
“So, I was quite happy sitting there behind Mikey, protecting a fantastic result for the team. Ultimately, Jake was able to get by, but it would have been so easy in that scenario to keep falling down the order.
“The fact I was able to keep my foot in and then similarly hold off a bunch of the other title contenders is a real credit to where the team have gotten the car to, in terms of its development, and to end the first half of the season on the podium was a real feel-good moment, especially as Mikey got his first outright podium, too.”
So, what next…?
Croft marks the next chapter in the 2024 BTCC season, and Taylor-Smith is feeling re-charged and ready to come out fighting over the second half of the campaign.
“I’m feeling full of optimism,” he says. “What we’ve achieved over the first half of the season has been fantastic, but it only raises the bar higher for what we want to achieve over the remaining 15 races.
“People talk a lot about the Vauxhall Astra being one of the oldest cars on the grid, which is factually correct, but the connotation there is it’s past it’s best – which it definitely isn’t.
“There’s a difference between ‘old’ and ‘out of potential’, and all the development work Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing are putting in is paying dividends and showing that it’s definitely not the latter.
“So, I know I’ve got a good package beneath me, and the circuits coming up are among my favourites on the calendar, so we’ve a lot to look forward to, and I can’t wait to hit the road again in a few weeks’ time.”
Aron Taylor-Smith bagged another strong haul of points – plus two Independent victories – on an action-packed day in the British Touring Car Championship at Croft.
Arriving at the 2.1-mile Yorkshire circuit with momentum on his side after ending the first half of the campaign on the overall podium at Oulton Park, Taylor-Smith immediately set about picking up where he and Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing left off.
In a hard-fought qualifying session, the Dubliner not only made it through to the coveted ‘Quick Six Shootout’ for the first time in 2024, but also put his Vauxhall Astra an impressive fourth on the grid, in the mix amongst the championship’s leading names for the opening race.
Sunday dawned, and with it a capacity trackside crowd, plus millions more watching live at home on ITV4, and in true Taylor-Smith fashion, the 34-year-old rose to the occasion.
A lightning fast getaway in the opener put Taylor-Smith side-by-side in a battle for third spot with Ingram’s Hyundai on the run down to Clervaux. Trapped on the outside line, he was forced to concede, slotting into the queue.
Slight contact a lap later with Sutton forced Taylor-Smith to go off-line and cut the chicane for fear of a collision; etiquette dictated he give the place to the Ford, and Taylor-Smith duly obliged. From there, the Irishman held his own to score an credible fifth, and an 11th Independent win of the season.
On the slower, less-fancied Hard compound Goodyear tyre for the second race, Taylor-Smith used all of his experience, nous and race craft accumulated in over a decade of competition in the UK’s premier tin-top series to keep the chasing pack behind.
Having been shuffled back a couple of spots in a typically frantic start to the race, Taylor-Smith dug deep to keep not only race one winner Turkington at bay, but also a queue of cars on the quicker, softer tyre to take seventh – and another Independent win!
Having banked two strong outright points finishes, ‘Lady Luck’ then paid Taylor-Smith another visit, promoting him to second through the reverse grid draw for the finale.
A steady getaway put Taylor-Smith second to Chilton’s Hyundai after the opening lap, before an optimistic move by his team-mate Ingram at the Jim Clark Esses forced both cars wide, and shuffled Taylor-Smith back down the order to tenth.
There he remained, until further contact at the end of the race left the Vauxhall with damage, forcing Taylor-Smith to limp it home over the line in P13 – albeit still another valuable haul of points.
The net result of all three races at Croft means Taylor-Smith now sits eighth in the overall championship standings, with a comfortable 21-point gap to team-mate Mikey Doble in the Independents Trophy.
His efforts have also contributed in no small part to Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing holding a commanding 60-point lead in the Independent Teams’ Championship, with 18 of the 30 races completed.
Knockhill, Fife, hosts the next three rounds of the 2024 BTCC season on 10-11 August.
Aron Taylor-Smith (#40) said:
“My over-riding emotion at the moment is just pride, because we’ve put together another really strong weekend. To qualify on the second row, and then back that up with some good points and another two Independent wins is just fantastic.
“A little bit of contact in that last race roughed us up and meant we couldn’t really take advantage of what the Vauxhall Astra was capable of, but it’s how things go in the BTCC sometimes.
“I can’t keep praising the whole team at Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing enough for the work they’ve done – and continue to do – with this car. Qualifying fourth and being amongst the front-runners was no fluke; it’s a genuine reflection of where we’ve gotten this package to, which is very exciting.
“Hopefully we’ll be able to roll out at Knockhill, another favourite circuit of mine, and aim for even bigger and better things next time around.”
Podium and Independent hat-trick for Taylor-Smith at Donington GP
Aron Taylor-Smith continued his resurgent form in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, charging to another hat-trick of Independent victories – plus another outright podium - at Donington Park last weekend [24-25 August].
A fortnight on from the BTCC’s annual sojourn to Scotland, the UK’s premier motorsport category reconvened at Donington for the second time this season, this time making use of the Leicestershire venue’s extended, 2.5-mile Grand Prix configuration.
Taylor-Smith arrived among the in-form drivers, having impressed last time out at Knockhill with a front row qualifying result, plus two Independent wins on race day in his Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing-run Vauxhall Astra.
And the Irishman was among the pace-setters from the get-go, featuring in the top eight throughout both practice sessions, before storming to a third ‘Quick Six’ shootout appearance in a row during Saturday afternoon’s all-important qualifying session.
Lining up sixth, Taylor-Smith made a steady start in the first of three ITV4-televised races on Sunday and kept pace with the front-runners until an early safety car interruption.
The incident in question had scattered gravel across the racing line through the high-speed Esses chicane and, arriving flat out on the first lap after racing resumed, the #40 Vauxhall Astra skated wide on the low-grip surface.
Quick reflexes from Taylor-Smith behind the wheel kept the car pointing the right way, and he was able to resume having only lost a handful of positions.
The 34-year-old ultimately took the chequered flag in ninth after recovering some lost ground, then followed it up with a solid drive forward to eighth in the second contest. In both cases, Taylor-Smith was also the winning Independent driver, notching up his 15th and 16th class victories of the campaign respectively.
As is customary these days, Taylor-Smith’s efforts also earned him a spot in the coveted reverse grid draw, and luck rolled in favour of the Dubliner, promoting him to fourth on the grid for the finale.
A strong start gave Taylor-Smith a run at team-mate Mikey Doble, an opportunity he was quick to seize with a bold dive to the inside down the Craner Curves.
Another pass, this time on Osbourne’s Ford into the Melbourne Hairpin released Taylor-Smith into second. Two safety car interventions – plus a sprinkling of rain – gave the Vauxhall racer half a chance at the victory, but a risk-free move to pass never materialised.
Taylor-Smith was then forced to turn his focus backwards in the closing laps and opt for an ‘elbows out’ approach, as a charging Ingram closed in and squeezed by. Despite being shuffled back to third, Taylor-Smith and team celebrated a second outright podium of the campaign, and a clean sweep of Independent wins.
The net result of all three races means Taylor-Smith rises to seventh overall in the standings and extends his lead over Doble in the Independents Trophy to a commanding 59 points, meaning that it could be wrapped up next month at Silverstone.
Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing hold a similarly comfortable advantage in the Independent Teams Championship, 74 points clear of their nearest rivals.
Silverstone’s National circuit plays host to the penultimate weekend of the 2024 season on 21-22 September.
Aron Taylor-Smith (#40) said:
“To achieve what we have this weekend is, quite frankly, outrageous. I’m absolutely delighted to come away from Donington with a hat-trick of Independent wins, and another outright podium as well.
“It was great to showcase our one-lap pace yet again in qualifying and make the Quick Six shootout for the third event in a row. But equally pleasing was our race pace, and over those longer runs we were able to fight and mix it with the Manufacturer teams.
“Obviously that raises the stakes, and a little mistake in race one cost us a few spots, but we put in a really spirited fightback in race two, which gave us the platform we needed to go and battle onto the podium in the finale.
“It feels crazy to stand here and say we’ve only six races to go, but we’re into the business end of the season now, and I know both Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing and I will keep pushing, keep our performance levels up, and see what we can come away with.
“I very, very nearly managed to get a win at Silverstone last season, so it’s another circuit I’m going to with confidence, with optimism – as always – and looking to put on a show. Let’s see what we can do!”
The curtains fall on a record-breaking season for Taylor-Smith
Árón Taylor-Smith rounded out his Independent title-winning season in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship with a 20th Independent win, a strong haul of points at Brands Hatch and a record-breaking 7th in the overall championship.
The Irish racer arrived at the Kent venue's world-renowned Grand Prix circuit fresh from securing the Independent crown in the UK's premier motorsport category at Silverstone last time out, and with the sole aim of bringing down the curtain on the 2024 campaign with yet another strong showing. Taylor-Smith's Vauxhall Astra, expertly prepared by Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing, was among the front-runners across practice, and translated that form with ease to qualifying. Having comfortably cleared both knockout rounds to secure a fifth consecutive "Quick Six" appearance, Taylor-Smith's efforts in the final part of qualifying were enough to head up the third row of the grid, in fifth.
Starting in the thick of both the manufacturer-backed entries and the contenders for the overall title, Taylor-Smith then raced his way to a hat-trick of points finishes on Sunday in front of a capacity crowd and millions more live on ITV4. Two equally hard-fought contests netted the Dubliner a brace of sixth-placed finishes in Races 1 & 2, with the latter also marking Taylor-Smith's 20th Independent win of the season. The reverse grid draw fell favourably and promoted the #40 Vauxhall Astra to the front row, alongside pole-sitter Cook's Toyota for the series' showpiece finale. But a predictably boisterous start to the race left Taylor-Smith with damage on the run down Paddock Hill Bend for the first time, hampering the car's performance for the remainder of the race. Battling hard against the rising tide, the 34-year-old dug deep and was able to salvage more points despite a wounded car, eventually taking the chequered flag in P12. That result not only helped Taylor-Smith secure a career-best finish of seventh in the overall standings, but ensures he finishes the season as the only driver on the grid to have scored points in all 30 races, a remarkable feat of consistency. That - plus the end-of-season Independent title celebrations for both Taylor-Smith and Power Maxed Racing - provided a fitting backdrop on which to draw a line under 2024, and begin preparations for 2025.
Aron Taylor-Smith (#40) said: "This season has been everything I'd dreamed of since I was a small child. "To win any championship in the BTCC is no easy feat, and without a doubt what we've achieved this year, both as Independent champions but also in how we've taken the fight to the manufacturer teams, is definitely the highlight of my career to-date "I'm so immensely grateful to my entire partner network, my family and, of course, the entire team at Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing for providing me with such a superb race car. "But make no mistake - my aim is still to keep pushing, keep improving and get back to winning races overall and, eventually, fight for that overall title. "Next season has already started, and I'm hugely excited to see what we can achieve from here."
Árón Taylor-Smith was honored at the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship's annual end-of-season Gala last weekend 9th of November at the iconic Silverstone awards.
Attending as the recently-crowned Independents Champion in the UK's premier tin-top series, the Irishman was reunited with his championship trophy at Silverstone's iconic Wing facility to acclaim from the rest of the BTCC community. Taylor-Smith's career renaissance since joining Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing continued it's upward trend in 2024, building on the foundations set a year prior in the team's Vauxhall Astra.
The Dubliner claimed an impressive 20 Independent wins this campaign, as well as two outright podium finishes, and a clean sweep of points finishes - the only driver to do so across the gruelling 30-race schedule. With a roster of Independent champions going on to later win the outright prize, it bodes well for Taylor-Smith, who continues to go from strength to strength on one of the most competitive grids in motorsport. The 35-year-old's plans for the upcoming 2025 season will he unveiled in due course.
Árón Taylor-Smith said: "I've been to this end of season gala a few times over the years, but never to be honored as one of the champions. "It's not only a fantastic feeling, but a great source of motivation to me. 2025 has been in motion for some time now, and I'm incredibly excited to build on this achievement and keep aspiring to be even better.
"A final, huge thank you to Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing and to my partner network for their hard work, dedication and unwavering support this season. "It's my name on the car, but it's truly a team effort, and it's a real honour for me to represent each and every person involved."
