Aron Taylor-Smith has completed RACE Performance’s 2019 British GT4 Championship driver line-up.
The Irishman joins British Touring Car Championship convert Sam Smelt aboard the team’s Ford Mustang GT4, which was originally confirmed in early January.
Taylor-Smith also made his name in BTCC between 2011 and 2017 before switching to the Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup last season. This year will be his first in British GT and GT4 machinery.
The partnership ensures both RACE Performance drivers have recent experience of top-level national motorsport, a fact not lost on team principal Ryan Connolly.
“We needed the right fit for the team, the car and Sam, and with Aron we have exceeded our expectations,” he said. “His professionalism, ability to deliver and knowledge of both the UK circuits and endurance racing makes him an ideal fit for our championship aspirations.
“Aron and Sam’s BTCC experience ensures their ability in close-quarter racing and race craft are things we don’t need to worry about, so as a team we can simply focus on the results I am sure we will collectively deliver.”
Having tested the car last week, Taylor-Smith believes his experience in a variety of categories will help RACE Performance challenge for this year’s GT4 title.
“British GT is a championship that I was eager to be a part of as it continues to go from strength to strength,” he said. “Having won in both the BTCC and Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup it is the perfect blend for me; I get to capitalise on my track knowledge from my time in the BTCC but also benefit from last season’s experience in Blancpain GT.
“For me, it was as much about finding the right seat as it was the right team-mate. Sam is very fast and really connects with the car, so between us I am certain that we can extract the most from the Mustang and challenge for the championship.
“Having spent two days of testing with RACE Performance last week it was clear that Ryan has brought together an extremely talented group of people and what I like most is their hunger and drive to win. Being honest, I can't remember the last time that I was this excited for a season to start as I see great potential to mount a championship fight.”
RACE Performance’s Mustang GT4 joins two more Multimatic Motorsports-run examples on this year’s British GT entry. The full list will be announced during the championship’s annual Media Day at Donington Park on March 5.
Fans can attend Media Day for free, while tickets for Oulton Park’s season opener on April 20 & 22 are available here.