Kent squad forms alliance with championship winning outfit
An all-new partnership between Team HARD. Racing and Laser Tools Racing has today (24 December) been confirmed, which will see the two squads pooling resources both on and off track for greater engineering and commercial benefits.
Whilst the two outfits will remain as separate teams under different sets of team management, the alliance will now operate seven cars between them.
Reigning champion Ash Sutton will spearhead the Infiniti Q50 rear-wheel drive three-car attack for Laser Tools Racing – alongside Aiden Moffat and Carl Boardley – with the latter switching from the BMW 1 Series.
Team HARD, meanwhile, will operate four newly built Cupra Leons and has already confirmed Aron Taylor-Smith, Jack Goff and Glynn Geddie. A yet-to-be-announced driver will complete the line-up in the new year.
The partnership will form a very special collective, utilising each other’s resources and expertise to produce world class engineering, commercial and corporate rewards for both squads.
With Laser Tools Racing fielding the new three-car Infiniti entry and Team HARD building and running four new Cupra Leons, the collaboration will also see a host of new staffing added to the existing pool of knowledge from both teams.
Tony Gilham, Team HARD. Racing Managing Director, said: “Ash and Aiden are a formidable pairing and so to be able to keep these guys together is vital to the commercial side of the operation and following the successes of 2020, it is a very solid platform on which to build on.
“Both these guys are amazing young talents and a big part of the future of the BTCC. So, to have them working with us is a very proud moment. This is an essential part of the package as we at Team HARD aspire to keep developing and improving as a team, and there is no better way to learn than working with the best in the business.
“Working alongside the guys from Laser Tools Racing will help us move closer to our end goal and with the addition of many new faces to our side of the line-up, we feel we are in the best shape possible to compete at the front as soon as the new season starts.
“A long-term friendship and working relationship with Laser Tools Racing Team Principal Bob Moffat has developed over the last few years, and the time is now right to build something very special together as we head towards the new hybrid era. We have often talked about how we could team up and now we have taken the step to do just that.”
Bob Moffat, Laser Tools Racing Team Principal, said: “Having worked commercially with both BMR and Tony Gilham at Team HARD for a number of years, and with our team's amazing success in 2020, I feel that now is the time to elevate Laser Tools Racing to another level.
“With Tony Gilham's experience and energy, and Team HARD's reputation for providing first rate corporate hospitality, track day experiences and motorsport corporate entertainment, we are now in a very good position to offer both team sponsors and fans a world class experience in Britain's most prestigious motorsport series.”
Whilst Jack Goff, Glynn Geddie and Aron Smith have all recently commented on their excitement ahead of the 2021 season with Team HARD, the Laser Tools Racing trio of drivers had this to say…
Ash Sutton said: “2020 was a year to remember, a new car, a new team and three championships at the end of it. Breaking up that championship winning package wouldn’t have been a wise move, so to be flying the flag for Laser Tools Racing again in 2021 is absolutely mega! To continue working alongside Aiden again for next year means we can pick-up where we left off, but with the added bonus of getting stuck into a testing programme over the winter.
“It's great to have the addition of Carl Boardley and Team HARD with us for the up-and-coming season. To have a third Infiniti on the grid will benefit in many ways, speeding up the development with the car, conditions and direction of setup changes throughout a weekend.
“My personal goal for next year is no different to the goal me and the crew set out for last season and that was to win. But this time we have the added bonus of already having raced at each track, which means we will be more prepared coming into each weekend and able to attack with a clearer direction of what we want.”
Aiden Moffat said: “2020 was certainly a year to remember! Ash delivered the championship for the team and I really started getting the feel of the car in the latter rounds, developing more confidence with every race. I’m looking forward to continuing improvements through 2021 and working with our new team.”
Carl Boardley said: “For me, to continue in the championship required a clear vision and a path in which to enable me to challenge with the front runners, especially after a somewhat frustrating season in the 1 series. With time and weather constraints limiting the testing pre-season and then the enforced COVID sabbatical, 2020 for us was almost ‘testing’ at the race weekends. Getting my hands on an Infiniti Q50 at this early stage provides us with a solid platform to prepare everything off track so we can hit the ground running when it all kicks off.”
