There is no doubt that Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing (PMR) has had itself a triumphant 2024 season. Headlining the year with numerous titles and many memorable moments along the way, we take a look through just a fraction of its historic year in the Vauxhall Astra.
Donington Park - National
The first round of the season could not have gone better for the Evesham-based team. As both Árón Taylor-Smith, driver of the #40, and Mikey Doble, driver of the #88, both scored victories in the Independent Championship as the team came home in first and second in every race.
Starting the season as it meant to go on, Doble would also take top spot in the Jack Sears’ Trophy (JST) as Taylor-Smith led the way in the Independent Drivers’ Championship (IDC)… leads they would not lose for the remainder of the 2024 season after a dominant first outing.
Snetterton
Snetterton was the next location in which the Vauxhall Astra-driven team next showcased their expertise. After the formation lap of race two the likes of Ashley Sutton and Tom Ingram, holders of a combined five BTCC titles, took to the pits to change on to dry tyres on a damp but drying track.
PMR and Doble decided to stay out on the wet tyre starting down in 13th place. The decision proved to be pivotal as the rain would eventually return and the #88 would climb nine positions to take home, at that point in time, the teams’ joint highest position in an overall result during 2024 whilst taking victories in both the IDC and JST.
Thruxton
On two occasions, one driver would win all three races in the IDC, both were Taylor-Smith.
The weekend looked to be heading south as the #40 would lose the car coming through Noble heading into Goodwood, breaking the rear-left suspension in the process. Crashing whilst already heading through to Part 2 of qualifying, the day seemed all but over before the Astra would reappear with three minutes to go after an impressive rebuild from the team.
Raceday arrived and the confidence of Taylor-Smith was not dented as he went on to score the first of two cleansweep individual weekends in the Independents category, only 24 hours after having a car with only three functioning wheels.
Oulton Park
Without a shadow of a doubt the team’s best performance of 2024 arrived at the Cheshire-based circuit. After what had already started to be a dominating season in its respected championships, the team would walk away from Oulton Park with every trophy other than an overall victory.
As both Doble and Taylor-Smith would win every IDC and JST trophy across the weekend, it would come down to the final race of the day as the pair started on the front row of the grid. Eventual 2024 Drivers’ Champion Jake Hill would endure a titanic battle with both Astras, taking the overall victory on the final lap of the race with an impressive door-to-door battle with Doble.
The only double-podium for an Independent team in 2024 bookended what was a first class performance from the start of the weekend to the very last lap.
Silverstone
Not only had the Evesham-based team asserted its dominance in their respective championships, it walked away from the penultimate event at Silverstone with a lead that could not be beaten in the Independent Drivers’ and Teams’ Championships as well as the Jack Sears’ Trophy.
In what would end up being a wet and wild weekend after a qualifying session that would see both cars disqualified from first and third on the grid. Then for Doble to also not compete in the opening bout, the team overcame adversity to head to Brands Hatch knowing that they would end the season with three championships, ending what was a very impressive campaign in the much-loved Astras.
