Carl Boardley will step up to the British Touring Car Championship in 2019 after agreeing a deal to join Team HARD to drive one of its Volkswagen CCs.
Runner-up in the BTCC-supporting Ginetta GT4 Supercup class this season, Boardley is the third driver to be confirmed with the Tony Gilham-helmed squad alongside Mike Bushell and Bobby Thompson.
Though this will be Boardley’s first full season in the BTCC, the 42-year-old made his series debut with the Kent-based team during a one-off outing at Knockhill.
With the deal capping off a breakthrough year for Boardley, who scored six wins in the Ginetta GT4 Supercup with technical support from Team HARD en route to second overall, he is excited to be joining the BTCC ranks.
“I am delighted to have committed to Team HARD for the 2019 season in BTCC,” he said. “After running with the team in GT4 Supercup throughout this year I have got to know the team really well. I feel comfortable in the surroundings and believe we have a good 'fit' together.
“Having made my BTCC debut at Knockhill this year it gave me a real taste of what the championship is all about and made me hungry for a lot, lot more. The team have made some major improvements to the car and infrastructure over the last couple of months which is ongoing and I believe things are in a strong position for 2019.
“I am under no illusions as to the size of the task ahead as this championship is the pinnacle but I’m super excited to get started and aim to hit the ground running at Brands Hatch for round one. I must say a massive thanks to everyone who has played a part in making this happen and to my family for their continued support”.
Tony Gilham, Team HARD manager added, “Carl is a great addition to our driver line up and not only brings a wealth of experience and pace, but he has a very good understanding of the car in terms of set up and performance.
“He will bring the necessary on track qualities we are looking for as well as add a massive amount off track with our whole set up and all new infrastructure we now have in place. We are on exactly the same page as each other when it comes to what we expect as a team this year and our goals we have set in the championship for the year ahead.
“We cannot wait to get going and see how Carl develops as a BTCC driver. This is not a short-term plan for either of us. The start of the season cannot come soon enough and we already have many plans in place so we can arrive at Brands Hatch in April in the best shape possible.”
