Michael Crees will realise a lifelong dream next season as he lines up on the British Touring Car Championship grid after signing a deal with Team HARD for his debut campaign in the UK's premier motorsport series.
The move sees the culmination of Crees’ meteoric rise up the motorsport ladder in Britain, having won the Ginetta Racing Drivers’ Club title in his maiden car-racing campaign in 2016, before announcing himself to the BTCC paddock with a sensational display in the Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup last year. Less than three years since the Kent racer was standing on the banks as a fan watching the BTCC in action, he is now set to seize the opportunity to take on some of the best touring car drivers and teams in the world.
With the support of his loyal sponsors, Crees has signed with experienced outfit Team HARD to race one of its Volkswagen CC’s – an established race-winning car in the series that he tested for the first time earlier this month at Snetterton in Norfolk.
Having earned his stripes in Ginetta machinery, he follows in the footsteps of leading BTCC stars like Tom Ingram and Adam Morgan, having dominated the AM Class with a record of eleven race victories and eight other podium finishes across the twenty-three race campaign.
“My dream has become a reality!" said Crees. "After winning two titles in two years of racing, we wanted to challenge ourselves in the premier championship in the UK.
“I want to thank Tony Gilham for taking a chance on us. Having spent the last couple of weeks working with and getting to know the team, how they work and our plans, it became clear this would be the right decision for the next chapter in my racing career.
“We share a lot of the same values and goals for the future so I’m very much looking forward to working with the team to see what we can achieve together. I can’t wait to get out this week and start a long tough journey to becoming a successful BTCC driver.”
Crees is Team HARD’s fourth and final signing for the 2019 BTCC season, partnering with two-time Renault UK Clio Cup champion and BTCC top six finisher Mike Bushell, 2017 Volkswagen Racing Cup champion Bobby Thompson and fellow Ginetta GT4 Supercup graduate Carl Boardley.
“We are very proud to welcome Michael to what we call our family," said Team HARD Team Principal Tony Gilham. "Michael is very much like us in the way he approaches his racing with his family support around him and his mindset to do the best job possible on-track but to enjoy things off-track too.
“That makes him a perfect fit for our set-up and we have already seen the value that we can offer each other as a package. He is a very special talent and has had a meteoric rise to the top and we cannot wait to share the next chapter of our stories together.
“In what will be a huge year for the team, it will also be a very steep learning curve for Michael as he steps up to what is the pinnacle of British motorsport. That said, we have all been very impressed with Michael on the recent test days.
“We’ll be working hard over the winter to arrive at Brands Hatch as ready as we can be for the year ahead. There have been several changes to the team structure and personnel, and we are hoping to achieve great things together as this is a long term programme for us all.”
