Taylor-Smith switches to Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall for 2023 BTCC

The 33-year-old series veteran completes an all-Irish line-up at the wheel of the Midlands squad’s Vauxhall Astras, with Dubliner Taylor-Smith joining Northern Irish GT convert and BTCC rookie Andrew Watson.

Taylor-Smith raced for six seasons in the BTCC from 2012-17 before spreading his wings into GT competition and then returning to tin-tops with Team Hard, where he raced one of the Kent operation’s Cupra Leons in 2021-22.

His best championship position remains eighth from his rookie campaign in 2012 with the Motorbase Performance Ford team, when he took one of his four race wins to date.

“The dream after this is to win another race in the BTCC and the dream after that is to fight for a championship,” said Taylor-Smith, whose last victory came in 2016.

“I’ve watched what Adam [Weaver, Power Maxed boss] and his team have put together over the years and have seen what their car is capable of on the track; I know their desire matches mine when it comes to success.

“We’ve tried to get a deal done in the past and it’s never quite come together, so I am beyond happy that it has this year.

“Visiting the workshop and seeing what they have done over the winter, I have never been more confident going into a season.”

Michael Crees, CarStore with Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall Astra

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

Weaver added: “Aron is just a great guy. His enthusiasm is contagious and more of that in a team can never be a bad thing.

“I know Aron and Andrew will get on brilliantly and I’m really looking forward to being a part of this team.

“It’s everything we have been working towards – I’ve never been this excited about a BTCC campaign.”

With PMR fielding an all-new line-up in 2023, the fate of its 2022 drivers Ash Hand and Michael Crees is unclear.

Hand impressed during his rookie season, and Autosport sources indicate that he has been put into a situation whereby he will be forced to sit out the coming campaign while working on a BTCC return in 2024.

BTCC line-up so far

Motorbase Performance: Ford Ash Sutton, Dan Cammish, Dan Rowbottom, Sam Osborne
West Surrey Racing BMW: Jake Hill, Colin Turkington, Adam Morgan, Stephen Jelley
Excelr8 Motorsport Hyundai: Tom Ingram, Tom Chilton, Ronan Pearson, Nick Halstead
Team Dynamics Honda: TBA, TBA
One Motorsport Honda: Josh Cook, Aiden Moffat, TBA, TBA
Speedworks Motorsport Toyota: TBA, TBA, TBA
Team Hard Cupra: Dan Lloyd, Bobby Thompson, Dexter Patterson, TBA, TBA
Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall: Aron Taylor-Smith, Andrew Watson