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.”
At R50 Marketing, we’re incredibly proud to have had the opportunity to support Aron Taylor-Smith this season in the British Touring Car Championship! Watching Aron’s dedication, skill, and passion on the track has been truly inspiring. It’s been an amazing journey, and we’re excited to have been part of his success this year!
Here’s to many more podiums and exciting seasons ahead!
