Biography

Team HARD first entered the BTCC in 2012, running a Honda Civic and Vauxhall Insignia under the RCIB Insurance Racing banner. Team founder Tony Gilham, Howard Fuller, Robb Holland and Aaron Williamson assumed driving duties, with Gilham achieving the squad’s best result with a top three finish at Donington Park in the Civic.

The team replaced the Civic with a Volkswagen CC in 2013, which Tom Onslow-Cole piloted to three podium finishes, while Jack Goff added to the rostrum tally in the Insignia as ten drivers competed for Team HARD over the course of the campaign.

After sitting out 2014, the squad returned for 2015 with a pair of Toyota Avensis’ for Gilham and Kieran Gallagher, expanding to a third car the following season. Jake Hill and Michael Epps competed for RCIB Insurance Racing, with Chris Smiley – subsequently replaced by Michael Caine and later Gilham – taking to the grid for TLC Racing.

Hill and Epps remained on-board in 2017, joined by BTCC newcomer Will Burns as the team traded in the Toyotas for a trio of VW CCs.

In 2018, the squad fielded four facelifted CCs. Hill and Mike Bushell formed the Trade Price Cars with Brisky Racing half of the garage, as Hill scored a best-yet result for driver and team alike with second place in the Brands Hatch Indy opener.

Goff, meanwhile, signed a last-minute deal to join Carl Boardley in the RCIB Insurance with Fox Transport half of the Team HARD stable. An unchanged driver combination yielded a breakthrough victory at Silverstone in 2019 as Goff capitalised on a wet/dry contest to storm through the field to win from 21st on the grid. Bobby Thompson and Michael Crees ran under the GKR Scaffolding with Autobrite Direct banner.

Nicolas Hamilton joined the team for 2020 under the ROKiT Racing with Team HARD banner behind the wheel of a VW CC and stuck with ROKiT Racing with iQuoto Online Trading for another year, this time in the new-for-2021 Cupra Leon.

The 2022 campaign saw Hamilton joined by Aron Taylor-Smith, who made his series return with Team HARD. in 2021.

Hamilton will remain onboard for 2023, and will be accompanied by Jack Butel, after team HARD. announced that Go-Fix with Autoaid Breakdown would become the team’s title sponsor for its Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship campaign.

    @teamhard_racing