Aron Taylor-Smith was crowned the 2024 Independent Drivers’ Champion in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) following a successful weekend at Silverstone on September 21-22.
The Hako-sponsored driver, competing for Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing, secured multiple class victories and top-ten finishes, marking a significant achievement in his motorsport career.
The Silverstone event was pivotal for Taylor-Smith, with conditions favouring his performance. Driving a Vauxhall Astra, he capitalised on intermittent rain to deliver strong results in both practice and qualifying. However, drama unfolded during qualifying when a broken gear lever forced him to pit for emergency repairs.
Thanks to the quick work of his team, Taylor-Smith returned to action, advancing through the knockout stages to reach the “Quick Six” pole shootout. He narrowly secured pole position, but post-session technical checks revealed damage to the car, leading to his exclusion from the results despite gaining no performance advantage.
Race day, plagued by heavy rain, saw Taylor-Smith rise through the ranks. Starting from the penultimate row of the grid, he charged to a 12th-place finish in Race 1, securing his 18th Independent win of the season.
In Race 2, he improved to ninth place, clinching second in the Independent class – enough to secure the championship title with four races remaining.
In the final race, torrential rain limited further progress, but Taylor-Smith still claimed another ninth-place finish, adding a 19th Independent win to his weekend tally.
Taylor-Smith’s triumph also contributed to a successful weekend for Evans Halshaw Power Maxed Racing, which secured the Independent Teams’ title. His teammate Mikey Doble added to the team’s success by winning the Jack Sears Trophy.
Reflecting on his championship win, Taylor-Smith said: “I’m absolutely over the moon to have won the Independent Drivers’ title. To win a championship at this level is a dream come true, and I’m hugely grateful first and foremost to everybody – the team, my partner network, family and friends – who have given me a platform on which to go out and achieve this.”
This is the second year that Hako has sponsored Taylor-Smith, with Managing Director Sylvie Giangolini, Sales Director Craig Metcalf, Head of Regional Chris Simpson, Regional Sales Representative Ollie Shelley and IT Lead Elliot Morgan all in attendance
Sylvie said: “On behalf of all of Team Hako, we offer our congratulations to Aron on a brilliant season. It’s been a pleasure working with him and it was a thrill to be there to see him lift the trophy.”
The BTCC season will conclude at Brands Hatch on October 5-6, where Taylor-Smith and his team will look to finish the season on a high.
