Photo: PSP Images

Jake Hill secures Trade Price Cars Racing seat

By

Jake Hill will make a return to the BTCC grid for the 2019 season after securing a deal to join Trade Price Cars Racing-backed AmD Tuning squad.

The 24-year-old is the first driver confirmed by the team, which joins the grid next year with a pair of Audi S3s being run by AmD Tuning, that has campaigned them in recent seasons.

Hill raced the Audi back in 2015 during the season finale at Brands Hatch, and has since gone on to gain further experience of NGTC machinery with Team HARD over the past three years.

Having taken his maiden podium finish in the season opener this year, Hill sat out the second half of the campaign after splitting with HARD during the summer break and admitted he was delighted to be able to confirm his return.

“We have been working non-stop since the summer to get things in place to get back into the BTCC, and I am absolutely buzzing to once again be part of the UK’s premier series, especially as part of this exciting new project with Trade Price Cars Racing,” he said.

“I want to thank Dan [Kirby] and Andy [Wilmot] so, so much for making this possible and for giving me the chance to remind everyone what I can do. I am more fired-up than ever and ready to work as hard as possible to get the maximum out of the car, and see what we can achieve as a team.

“We have some fantastic partners – both new and existing – plus we will have a stunning livery to be revealed at some point soon. We aim to be out testing early in the new year, and we have some very, very good people working with the team so we expect to be very well prepared.”

Having worked with Hill in recent seasons, Trade Price Cars owner Dan Kirby said he was confident that the youngster was the ideal driver to lead the team into 2019.

“We have got to know Jake well over the past couple of seasons, and seeing up-close how strong he is as a driver, his technical awareness, and how well he works with his partners off track, it’s a real statement of our intent getting him on board,” he said. “Everyone has seen just how quick he is, so we’re really confident he will be a key part of the team and in helping us achieve success.”