Ollie Pidgley to make BTCC debut with Team HARD

Ollie Pidgley will make his British Touring Car Championship debut at this weekend's Rockingham meeting after agreeing a deal to contest the remainder of the 2018 season with Team HARD.

The 20-year old graduates into the BTCC from the Mini Challenge series, having already raced on the TOCA support package in the Renault UK Clio Cup and British F4 championship.

Pidgley will replace Dan Welch in the Volkswagen CC, alongside fellow Team HARD stablemates, Bobby Thompson and Michael Caine.

Having taken part in a BTCC test with Ciceley Motorsport during the 2016 season, Pidgley arrives into his debut weekend with some degree of previous experience in BTCC machinery.

“The move came about quickly, as these things often do! I spoke to Tony (Gilham) and it’s an opportunity I just had to grasp,” said Pidgley.

“It’s always been a dream of mine and locking in four BTCC race weekends is an unbeatable chance for me. I’m really, really looking forward to it. I’ve got everything in place and I’m ready to go.

“I sampled BTCC machinery back in 2016 when I was awarded a day’s seat-time with Ciceley Motorsport at Silverstone, having been a part of its Renault UK Clio Cup outfit that year.

“Purely in terms of that being front-wheel drive machinery, and a sequential box, it was a similar feel to what I’ve been used to.

“Obviously, there’s a step, in terms of performance and with the tyre but I feel physically ready. Procedurally, regarding sessions and the structure of a weekend, things will be different but adjusting to that won’t be a problem.”

“I’m going to just go about my business and see how we fare. I am not setting myself any specific targets at this moment. We want to set our goals as we go along and improving weekend-by-weekend has to be the aim.

“Clean races, getting seat time and bringing the car home will be our first thought. Rockingham’s a place I like and probably the circuit I know best. I’ll do my own thing and see where that takes us.”