Tom Barley will make his first appearance in the Michelin Clio Cup Series this weekend at Brands Hatch after agreeing a late deal with category front-runners 20Ten Racing.
Barley is a regular competitor in the Volkswagen Cup with Tony Gilham’s Team HARD outfit, having made his BTCC debut with the team during last season’s final rounds at Brands Hatch, taking a best finish of sixteenth in their Vauxhall Insignia.
The 27 year old currently lies thirteenth in the VW Cup standings after missing the last rounds at Spa-Francorchamps last weekend, his best outing so far coming at Rockingham with fifth and second place finishes.
The Clio drive comes as Barley begins to assess his options for the 2015 season, and the IG.com-backed racer is looking forward to getting behind the wheel of a third-generation Clio racer at his home circuit.
“I’ve had a lot of fun racing in the VW Cup with Tony Gilham, and I’ll continue to do so this year, but who knows what 2015 will bring,” Barley told TCF.
“I see these Clios as a mini version of the BTCC machine I drove last season. I like the idea of all the cars being completely identical, and of course, they’re pretty quick! I expect to be up against some good competition this weekend, but I’ll be giving as good as I get and I’m hoping to be at the sharp end!”
