Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing will look to maintain its title challenge across three fronts this weekend (August 10-11) as the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship makes its annual trip north of the border to Knockhill.
Loved by fans and racers in equal measure, the undulating Fife circuit is one of the most exciting tracks that the UK’s premier motorsport series visits and it’s somewhere that both Árón Taylor-Smith and Mikey Doble are hoping can be a happy hunting ground for the team.
Approaching the business end of the 2024 campaign, the Vauxhall Astra duo arrive in Scotland having each scored an overall podium finish already this season – achieving the feat in the same race back at Oulton Park prior to the summer break.
In addition, Taylor-Smith and Doble have also established themselves as the class of the field in the Independents’ Championship – winning a combined 17 of the 18 races run so far to cement a clear advantage in the Drivers’ and Teams’ standings.
While he’ll be aiming to close the gap to Taylor-Smith in the aforementioned Independent Drivers’ standings, Doble will also have one eye on further extending his lead in the coveted Jack Sears Trophy too, where he has already triumphed on five occasions this year.
Qualifying at Knockhill will be broadcast on the ITV Sport YouTube channel on Saturday from 15:20 before all three races are aired LIVE on ITV4 on Sunday. Race one is scheduled to begin at 11:45 ahead of race two at 14:40 and race three at 17:20.
Árón Taylor-Smith said: “Knockhill is a track that I’ve always clicked with and one of my favourites that we visit. From the second you leave the pit lane you’re on maximum attack and it rewards the brave; it also produces some of the best racing in touring cars.
“Heading to Scotland I feel that the car is in the best window it has ever been in that is testament to all of the work that Evans Halshaw and Power Maxed Racing has put in. It’s one of the best in the paddock and I’m excited to see what results we can bring home this time around.”
Mikey Doble said: “You always feel like you are at the business end of the season when you head north of the border to Knockhill. With a healthy lead now in the Jack Sears Trophy and with the Independents’ Championship still in sight, there is a lot to fight for in the coming weeks.
“Knockhill always throws up some big surprises and the target will be to take advantage of the strategy we lay out and bag as many points as possible.”
Martin Broadhurst, Team Manager, said: “Knockhill is one of the standout events on the calendar in the BTCC and for good reason too; it’s got a great mix of corners and elevation changes that always makes for great racing.
“After getting back into the thick of the action at Croft last month we’re all looking forward the annual trip up to Scotland. The car has always inherently performed well there, so I’m confident that both Árón and Mikey can challenge for some strong results.”
Adam Weaver, Team Principal, said: “We’re heading towards a crucial point in the season where every point is going to become even more vital. We’ve worked hard to establish ourselves at the top of the Independents’ so the aim is to maintain our advantage as well as chase more podiums.
“It was about this time last year that we really kicked things up another gear and enjoyed a strong end to the season and given the amount of work everyone is putting in I’m excited to see where we stack up in the coming races.”
