“With limited track time in FP1 and 2, we didn’t qualify where we wanted to and started off in P9. We had good pace throughout all three races, finishing 4th in both races one and two, however, was awarded P7 in the second race due to a false start. We, unfortunately, ended the weekend with a DNF due to an unavoidable collision.”

Seb Melrose; GT4 Supercup

“What started out looking to be a difficult weekend ended up being a very solid one. Battling with the top 10 in Sunday’s races made it an exciting weekend, and proved the progress we’ve made throughout the season – with both my pace and our car set-up.

“Thanks a lot to all the lads and ladies in Team HARD. who have made this season what it’s been!”

Eric Boulton; GT4 Supercup

“It was great to get back behind the wheel and racing again with Team HARD. We had a few struggles with the car during Friday testing, as I haven’t had much set-up time this season. However, we showed good pace on Saturday, and have come away very happy with Sunday’s performance, and a P3 in the Pro-Am class!

“Thanks again to Team HARD. for the support and good times!”

AJ Rock; Ginetta Junior Championship

“It’s been an amazing season, with so much learning and development from our first day in the car up to now. I can’t thank everyone at Team HARD. enough! Adam Wilcox has been faultless all year and has given us the knowledge and drive to get to where we are.

“Thank you also to Evolution, Grayson Pace, and Puffin Solutions for the continuous support in getting us here; to my family for the enormous support. I’m hugely grateful to everyone.

“Huge well done to Nathan, too! An unlucky last round didn’t reflect his season and I know he deserved so much more. Nathan has been an enormous force in progressing the team to where we are now. I can’t wait to see what 2022 holds!”

 

Nathan Harrison #27

Josh Stanton #95

“It feels a shame for us to be ending the year now, but we can go into the winter knowing we finished on a reasonable high.

I would just like to say a huge thank you to all of my partners who make racing possible, along with everyone at Team HARD. who have pushed so hard all year!”

Árón Taylor-Smith: “Brands GP has always been a really kind track to me; I was full of optimism going into the weekend. The chassis around the GP track is one of the best touring car chassis I’ve ever driven, and I felt it only getting better as the weekend went on. It’s no secret that we’re looking forward to a change in engine package in 2022, and I firmly believe it’ll make us significantly more competitive.

“My day was marred by a few little incidents in races one and two, but that’s touring cars and you can’t escape it sometimes! Race 3 was significantly better, coming from outside the top 20 into the points, and running nose to tail with manufacturer team and multiple race winner, Team BMW. This goes to show the Cupra has that caliber of being at the front. We saw this with Jack (Goff) as well; he was very competitive this weekend, and I think if we had the opportunity to start further up the gird the two of us could have worked together and cracked into the top 5.

“The results don’t justify how quick the car was, but that’s why people love the touring cars – much like myself! We’ll be significantly better off the back of this weekend. I’m leaving happier with how it ended, and looking forward to what 2022 will bring.”

Jack Mitchell: “It was a difficult day in the office at my home circuit, and wasn’t the result we were looking for. The balance of the car changed massively from qualifying which made race one very difficult.

“My Engineer, Jeff, did a great job changing the set-up over races however to improve the car. In race three the handling was brilliant, and we were in a points position until we suffered contact with another driver. Very gutted as it’s now how you want to end any race never mind the season, especially as I’ve just started getting up to speed.

“However, I’m pleased with the improvements we made. We’ll hopefully be back next year for some more action on the grid!”

I had the most amazing morning taking 45 pupils from Snarestone Primary School to Donington Park, courtesy of Team HARD. Racing, to see the British Touring Car Championship paddock being set up ahead of the weekend’s racing, and to learn about careers in motorsport. This was a group of key stage 2 pupils, so aged 7 to 11, and it was a great reminder to me about not just the importance but the sheer joy in enthusiasm, both from the pupils and from the team, and from everyone else in the paddock who spent time with us. Of course, it felt like the coolest school trip ever to spend a morning with a race team and meet the drivers, but it was much more than that. Everyone we met was full of enthusiasm and greeted the children. Teams and racing series found flags, lanyards, and all sorts, and everyone we met – as is usually the case in the BTCC paddock – felt like they had all the time in the world to sign autographs and stop for photos and a chat. The enthusiasm was infectious, and it was certainly picked up by both the pupils and the teachers who were in attendance.

The enthusiasm continued when the children went back to school, and afterward; on the school messaging app – my son was one of the pupils there – it was clear from what parents were saying that the enthusiasm didn’t stop at the school gate. “Best day ever”, “hasn’t stopped talking about it”, and more. I was back at the track on Saturday with my son, and some of his classmates came along after convincing parents to bring them, and we showed them around the circuit. Again on Sunday, we had a group of pupils from the school in attendance. Árón Taylor-Smith, who was kind enough to spend hours with the pupils on Friday, recognised them and spent even more time with them. It helped make them feel part of the event.

The trip wasn’t just about having fun, we also were looking at what jobs you might have in motorsport. You could be a driver, obviously, but also a mechanic, a marketing manager, a logistics expert, a data analyst, part of the social media team, a doctor, a photographer, a reporter, a hospitality manager, and so many more roles. I was asked so many questions about what all the people we met did. There was no limitation on who was enthusiastic or who wanted to know about the roles in motorsport, regardless of gender, race, or ability.

My son is eight years old. He’s been coming to BTCC events with me since he was 16 weeks, and last weekend was by far the most enthusiastic I’ve seen him at a race track for years. Maybe it was because he’s finally tall enough to go on a grid walk before the race, or perhaps because he had so many of his friends with him there to share the experience. I think though that a big part of it was the enthusiasm that came from everyone at the track on Friday. A huge thank you to everyone who made the trip so special, and who spent their day bringing joy to others by sharing their passion for their jobs with those visiting.

Ash Sutton claimed his third Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship title at Brands Hatch, securing the coveted prize before winning the final race of the season in style.

The Laser Tools Racing star has been leading the standings since the second event of the 30-race campaign and has managed the gap back to the chasing pack ever since.

A top six finish in each of the first two contests around the legendary 2.43-mile Grand Prix circuit was enough to move Sutton into an unassailable points lead, and with the pressure now off, the 27-year-old blasted from fourth on the grid to take an impressive victory in the finale.

Sutton’s race-winning triumph was his fifth of the season and his 50th career podium in Britain’s premier Motorsport series. It was a largely dominant display throughout the year from Sutton, as the Hertfordshire racer scored a total of 27 top ten finishes and recorded only one non-finish along the way.

Sutton’s title triple moves him to within one of Team BMW’s Colin Turkington, who himself ended the 2021 season as runner-up in the Drivers’ Standings.

Ash Sutton said: “It feels so good and winning the final race was the best way to finish the campaign off. I could finally take the handcuffs off and do what I wanted to do, and it was absolutely amazing. I’ve had a fantastic crew behind me all year, and fantastic sponsors with Laser Tools and to win the Teams’ and Independents’ titles too, it just couldn’t have been any better.

“We had to change the way we approached it. When we looked at the way we attacked it last year, we nearly threw it away multiple times. I had to take it on the chin and learn from it, and I feel like I’ve done that!

“We’re just one step closer to where we want to be. I want to go down as one of the greats in the BTCC and if that means that we’ve got to go after more championships then we’re going to do it. If I beat Colin [Turkington] to five [titles] I’ll be really happy. He’s a tough one to beat but we’ll match his first and then go from there.

“Obviously we’ll put a plan together over the next couple of years and see what we can do. The ultimate goal is getting the most championships.”

Laser Tools Racing merged with Team HARD. Racing at the beginning of the year meaning that the 2021 successes of the  Laser Tools Racing camp means that it is a first title of Team HARD. and it’s Team Owner Tony Gilham. It was a clean sweep for the team after claiming both the Overall and Independents drivers titles as well as the Overall and Independents teams’ championships.

“We know come race day when our engine package comes closer to the rest of the grid we then have a chance to fight through the pack, so I am looking forward to moving forward.”

Jack Mitchell: “It’s my first time around Brands Hatch GP in a touring car this weekend, so I was very pleased with how well we did in FP1. We made some changes for FP2 and went for a qualifying lap, but the back section of the circuit hit me hard and I had an off. This was the end of FP2 for me, so the end of my qualifying sim. I felt confident in the car before the spin and having lost this run time we set off for qualifying on the back foot.

“Our Engineer made some good changes and the car felt strong handling-wise throughout the qualifying session – the best it’s been all year. Our pace was strong with me, Jack (Goff), and Aron (Taylor-Smith) all within 2 thousandths of each other, making for a positive Saturday!

“I think our engine package has been down against some of the others, however, the team has done a great job at getting the balance right, and hopefully tomorrow we make up some places”

Árón Taylor-Smith: “Today was a hard day. I feel like the chassis has gotten progressively better throughout the day, however, and we now have three Cupras within 3 hundredths of a second of one another, which shows me the chassis has been utilised to its maximum capacity.

“Our time is still quicker than the pole lap from last year, but we don’t have the engine package that we need to maximise our qualifying lap. We are struggling in comparison to other cars, especially in qualifying trim on the power side, which I think comes from a lack of information from the championship perspective of how the Cupra operates.

“I’ve qualified 2nd here at Brands Hatch GP in the past in a chassis that’s significantly worse, and I’d say today was the best lap I’ve driven in a long time, yet we’re in P21.

“The team has done a superb job once again, but we’re just not at the races with those final few bits.”

Nic Hamilton: “The results don’t reflect the team’s effort from today, as the car has felt really good. We made good progress from FP1 to FP2 finding 1.4 seconds, which was looking really positive. I matched my best time again in qualifying, however, the majority of competitors found about half a second out there. Looking at data shows this loss came from a lack of power on the back of the GP loop, which is a circuit we don’t ever test.

“With this lack of track time, we’re trying hard to find a tenth here and there. I’m further off my teammates than I’d like to be, however I’m sure we’ll be in good stead for the races tomorrow and finish the season on a high!”

“This is the start of a long and fruitful relationship as we take steps to reduce our carbon footprint, and become one of the most environmentally conscious motorsport teams in the country.”

Team HARD. Racing confirms an important partnership with Green Biofuels (GBF); a business that provides sustainable product solutions to improve local and global air through advanced fuels, additives, and abatement systems.

Since its establishment in 2013, Green Biofuels has developed a revolutionary fossil fuel alternative to diesel known as GREEND+. GBF is dedicated to producing fuels that provide clean air solutions and is the largest importer of HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) fuel in the UK. They have become the first HVO supplier to be approved by Zemo’s Renewable Fuels Assurance Scheme.

GBF aims to supply 10% of the market with GREEND+ in a bid to significantly reduce the emissions produced by transport, fleet vehicles, and plant machinery today. GREEND+ HVO has up to an 85% reduction in particulates, and up to a 30% reduction in Nitrogen Oxides, thanks to a special additive not found in any other HVO fuel.

With the KwikFit British Touring Car Championship heading in the direction of the hybrid era, we are presented with an ideal opportunity to start reducing the carbon footprint left by motorsport teams. GREEND+ will be the title sponsor on our Mini Challenge driver, Kenan Dole‘s, car and will feature on both of our CUPRA Leons, driven by Jack Goff and Jack Mitchell in the BTCC.

“Advanced fuels such as GREEND+ offer significant advantages over traditional types of diesel and contributes to cleaner air, better health, and saving our planet. Green Biofuels supply customers across several sectors with this transition technology as we lead the way in the journey to net-zero sustainability. GBF is helping the industry build a bridge between today’s and tomorrow’s technologies to ultimately reduce C02 and improve local air quality.”

– GBF.Ltd

Managing Director at Team HARD. Racing, Tony Gilham, said “I’m pleased to be welcoming GREEND+ HVO to our network of partners for this season and beyond. The deal is a fitting one as GREEND+ offers an environmentally friendly solution to diesel and with the BTCC circus moving into the hybrid era in 2022, our carbon footprint will be greatly reduced.

“When we met the representatives from GREEND+ our eyes were opened to the simplicity of doing more for the environment. I’d recommend this fuel alternative to any business owner who has a fleet of work vehicles. We have over 16 race transporters, all of which will run on GREEND+. “

The KwikFit British Touring Car Championship reaches its climax this weekend at Brands Hatch for round 10 of the 2021 season.

Kenan Dole #7, JCW Mini Challenge Round 9 Top Graduate at Donington Park 2021

“Overall, the weekend at Donington Park was good. After a poor qualifying, we made the places up from P13 to finish P9.

“This proved that we had the pace, however, race two came to an early finish while sitting in P7, so we didn’t get much opportunity to make up more positions.

“We started race three in P12 and with a brilliant start, we gained 6 places and were closing the gap to 5th when an unfortunate incident took us out of the race. 

“We’ve taken a lot of positives from the car this weekend, and look forward to heading to Brands all guns blazing!”

AJ Rock; Ginetta Junior Championship

In only his second Ginetta Junior event, AJ made great progress through the field at a challenging circuit and learned more about the new racer he’s piloting. At only 14, and having never raced at the Derbyshire venue before, AJ constantly upped his game over the course of the four days and is looking to improve further at Brands Hatch in two weeks’ time.

“I started P25 and made my way up to P21. The first half of the race was great, but the car got twitchy later on when I lost my bumper. I’ve never been to Donington Park before and managed to make up four seconds from Thursday’s times.

“Brands Hatch should be good – it will be difficult for sure, but that’s how I like it.”

“We struggled on Thursday and had to reboot on Friday to get in the right mental space. Come Saturday, we struggled again to get the car in the correct window, but the boys worked incredibly hard and I had a great car for Sunday.

“I made a good start in race one, picked off a couple of places but then made a mistake and I hold my hands up for that. We still got the fastest lap in the class which was a good recovery.

“Come Race 2, I got another great start and had real pace and went from 5th to 1st. I’m super grateful for the team for this win – the Porsche was a different car compared to Thursday. I have to give thanks to all of my amazing sponsors, as I wouldn’t be here without them.

“In terms of race-craft, the start, and how I conducted myself throughout, I’m really proud. Definitely one to remember. The goal is to keep building on the progress we have made and getting ourselves on the podium.”

Nathan Harrison: “We had a good weekend at Donington with steady results. In qualifying, we didn’t get the full potential out of the tyres but managed to qualify P2 in class and P9 overall.

“Come Sunday, we had a mega start and jumped into the lead by turn one and controlled the pace well with the Pro-Ams behind me. Unfortunately, the car in front leaked coolant which I fell victim to on the corner, lost control of the car, and 3 places. Without this issue, I believe we could have won that race. We started race two in a good position with new tyres and P2, enjoyed some extremely close racing, and pushed hard to get past Rainford, and finished the race in P2.

“We earned some good points this weekend, and hopefully carry that through to Brands Hatch and end of a high!

“Thank you to Team HARD. Adam Wilcox, and my sponsors for making this year possible.”

Now with a car under him that he enjoys, Árón is eyeing up a triple-points haul at Brands in two weeks.

“Raceday was full of progression. I’m always happy when I leave a weekend with the car feeling better than it was when we arrived, and I certainly feel that. I think we were unlucky in qualifying. We didn’t have the engine package optimised which put us on the back foot in Race 1 and 2, battling with other people, but we made significant progress with the chassis for Race 3 and were in a position to fight.

“Our relative performance with the frontrunners improved by around 80% from where it was at the start of Sunday. We’ve confirmed the root for how we should start the car, and for that, I’m very happy.

“We’re in a good place on our way to Brands – it’s nice that it’s the home race for Team HARD. I hope to put on a show for the hospitality that will be jam-packed with guests. I’m full of optimism.”

Jack Goff sadly brought the mechanical gremlins from recent rounds with him to Donington Park, placing lowly with poor speed in the straights. Despite the poor qualifying session, which Jack claimed was the worst of his BTCC career, Sunday’s races proved more fruitful. The opening encounter saw some movement up the order but was nothing compared to the other races. Thanks to some expert tweaking by his engineers and Swindon, Jack battled with fellow competitors and secured two point-paying finishes. With the return to form seen in the first half of the season, Jack is eyeing even better tussles come the closer at Brands Hatch GP.

“We started the weekend off in a really bad place – we couldn’t find the problem with the car that we’ve had for the past few rounds. No matter what we did it just wouldn’t get fixed, so we knew it was a fundamental issue that was then found before Race 2. The car was then transformed. We’re now in a position which I feel we should be, able to race around the top 10 with good pace.

“Now I’m positive heading to Brands Hatch. It’s a shame we solved the issue towards the end of the season, but we found it and that’s the most important thing.”

Constantly improving since his arrival to touring cars midway through the season, Jack Mitchell gained yet more experience at Donington. Finishing FP2 in fifth, and carrying the strong lap time over to qualifying, Jack sadly succumbed to the waning engine troubles and found it tough to make any significant progress.

Race 2 welcomed the improved powertrain, and Jack crossed the line in P19 – his best finish in the BTCC. Further improvements seemed a certainty during the early battles of Race 3, but an unlucky bit of contact during a heated tussle with multiple cars saw Jack drop back a few positions. With the improved motor in the CUPRA, Jack’s first points look likely to come sooner rather than later.

“It wasn’t a bad weekend. After qualifying, I thought my pace was good against my teammates’, however, we lacked the straight-line speed in Race 1, which Swindon thankfully fixed for Race 2 and gave us more firepower. I finished P19, which is my best result in the BTCC so far.

“In Race 3, I was hoping for some improvements on that. However, the pack was so tight and it was hard to make some progress through. I got pushed wide and dropped back four places, so the rest of the race was about bringing it home.

“I feel as if I’ve learned a lot race craft wise this weekend and really got stuck in what I needed to do after five years in GT cars. It’s another learning curve and I hope to put these points into action at Brands and break into the top 15.”

Nic Hamilton’s pace was consistent throughout Saturday’s sessions and gave him a great platform to race from come Sunday. Race 1 was a quiet and clean affair, with solid lap times aplenty. However, Race 2 almost finished as soon as it had started, with Nic pitting on the journey to the grid with driveshaft problems. A monumental effort by the team ensured his place in the race with seconds to spare and was greeted with cheers from the crowd outside the garage. The final race was another mistake-free run on a new set-up with one eye towards Brands and a positive end to another inspiring season.

“I approached this round with confidence as when we tested here at Donington in the winter we found mega pace in the Cupra. This weekend started out well with competitive pace throughout FP1, FP2, and qualifying. However, bad luck followed us into the races; the driveshaft popped out on the way to the grid for race 2 which put us on the back foot.

“I finished races 1 and 3 with similar, positive feelings regarding the progression of the car, the main hurdle being down on power.

“The trials and tribulations are what we love so much about the BTCC! With each meeting, we’re bringing the car closer to where it needs to be and we’re in good stead for the final round at Brands Hatch GP, where I scored my maiden points in the championship. I’m looking forward to a positive finish to the season there.”