Former Volkswagen Racing Cup racer Kieran Gallagher will make a return to the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship as he leads the charge for Team HARD. in their 2015 campaign.
The 24-year-old Scot has raced in Scottish Legends and the Volkswagen Racing Cup before he made a one-off BTCC debut for Tony Gilham‘s Team HARD. squad in 2013 at the Knockhill meeting, where he collected a strong 13th place result in the final race driving a Vauxhall Insignia.
Gilham recently announced that the team would be returning to BTCC in 2015 after purchasing a Toyota Avensis previously raced by United Autosports, Gallagher now declared as the man who will take the driving duties of their BTCC charge.
Gallagher had been provisionally announced in December as part of Team HARD’s UK Renault Clio Cup line-up for the coming season, although the chance to graduate to the BTCC full-time with the outfit proved one he could not turn down.
“I am over the moon to be fulfilling my lifelong dream to be competing for a complete season in the BTCC”, said Gallagher. “After driving the Insignia for Team Hard at Knockhill in 2013, I made it my ambition to someday race again in the series and to do it with Team Hard is awesome.
Photo: Team HARD
“As soon as Tony offered me the chance to join them for their return, I immediately said yes and literally cannot wait to get going. I know this is a big jump, but at the same time I feel I can learn very quickly and will want to get up to speed and fight as high as possible up the grid. It will be a huge learning year but I am more than up for the challenge”
Former BTCC podium finisher Gilham is also said to have acquired one of United Autosport’s TBLs (TOCA BTCC Licence) to compete, stating that he intends to continue progressing with plans to bring Volvo back to the series potentially in 2016.
“This is a very exciting programme, we are going to be in this for many years. Initially we will run the Avensis but have further plans hopefully for 2016,” explained Gilham, who is brimming about the challenge ahead.
“We have seen glimpses of how quick the Toyota can be on its day and the development we have planned, we hope to see a marked improvement. This is a totally new approach from us. We have gone back to being a family-run team and there are no outside influences this time. We are building this for the future.”
