Tony Gilham will return to the driving seat this weekend at the upcoming Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship weekend at Silverstone, taking the place of regular driver Kieran Gallagher.

The last round at Rockingham saw the Team HARD. Toyota Avensis damaged heavily, leaving the team with the task of stripping the car down to a bare chassis and rebuilding. This unexpected expense put strain on the team’s projected annual budget for the season and required additional investment.

“It hasn’t necessarily happened in the way I wanted it to, but I’m delighted to be back,” said Gilham. “The team has completed a huge workload to repair and rebuild the car over the last few weeks, which also required additional budget.

“It wasn’t part of the plan of course but that’s the way it goes sometimes and thanks to our loyal sponsors and supporters I am pleased to be able to grab this opportunity.”

Gilham last raced regularly in the BTCC in 2012 and has limited testing ahead of his return. “I would have liked to have had more testing, but at least I had some time in the car at Snetterton,” said Gilham.

“I have been keeping fit and sharp as I always hoped I would again get the chance to race in the BTCC, although I’m under no illusions as to how tough it will be. The car looks fantastic and it’s in tip-top condition, so I can’t wait to get out there this weekend.”