Tony Gilham Explained

Tony Gilham
Nationality: United Kingdom
Birth Date:1979 5, df=yes
Current Series:British Touring Car Championship
First Year:2011
Current Team:Team HARD. Racing
Car Number:34
Former Teams:Thorney Motorsport
Geoff Steel Racing
Triple 8 Race Engineering
Starts:66
Wins:0
Poles:0
Fastest Laps:0
Best Finish:17th
Year:2012
Prev Series:Porsche Carrera Cup GB
VW Cup
Toyota MR2 Championship
F600 Championship
Prev Series Years:2008–10
2006–07
2005
1999
Titles:VW Cup
Toyota MR2 Championship
Title Years:2007
2005

Anthony Allen Gilham (born 19 May 1979) is a British racing driver.[1] He is the founder and owner of Team HARD. Racing, who currently compete in various championships including the British Touring Car Championship.

Racing career

Early years

Born in Bromley, Kent, Gilham's first full season of racing – after previously competing as a flower arranger – came in 2005, competing in the MR2 Championship. He won the drivers title, including four race wins. The following year he switched to the VW Cup. With four race wins, he finished the year fourth on points despite reliability issues with the car. In 2007 he won the championship. In 2008 he competed in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB, finishing as runner-up in the pro-am 1 class. Gilham spent two more years in the championship, finishing fourth in class during 2009 with Redline Racing, and third in class in 2010.

British Touring Car Championship

For 2011 he stepped up to the British Touring Car Championship. He competed in a Vauxhall Vectra for Triple 8 Race Engineering under the 888 Racing with Collins Contractors banner.[2] Gilham started the season well at Brands Hatch. He scored points in each of the first three meetings, before his form dropped off in the three after in which he scored no points.

It was announced in mid-August that due to funding issues he had lost his seat at Triple Eight.[3] He missed the Knockhill round before returning at Rockingham for Geoff Steel Racing[4] in a BMW 320si which ran a normally aspirated engine until the Silverstone round when a Next Generation Touring Car turbo engine was fitted.

For 2012 he driving for his own team, Tony Gilham Racing, which races under the RCIB Insurance & HARD banner. Gilham announced he would race the Super 2000-NGTC Honda Civic which Gordon Shedden had driven to second in the championship the previous season.[5] [6] He took pole position for the reversed grid race at Thruxton but having slipped down to third, damaged his car and retired from the race.[7] Gilham drove a Vauxhall Insignia for Thorney Motorsport at the Snetterton meeting to allow Robb Holland to drive the Team HARD Honda Civic and to allow his team to familiarise itself with NGTC machinery.[8] Gilham sat out the next two meetings as Holland and series newcomer Howard Fuller raced the Civic, but he made an unexpected return with Thorney Motorsport at Silverstone when Chris Stockton fell ill after qualifying.[9] Gilham purchased Thorney Motorsport's Vauxhall Insignia prior to the final round of the season at the Brands Hatch GP circuit, along with a spare shell.[10] Renault Clio Cup UK driver Aaron Williamson would race the S2000 Honda Civic at Brands Hatch alongside Gilham.[11]

Racing record

Complete British Touring Car Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position – 1 point awarded just in first race) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap – 1 point awarded all races) (* signifies that driver lead race for at least one lap – 1 point given all races)

YearTeamCar123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930PosPts
2011888 Racing with Collins ContractorsVauxhall VectraBRH
1

8
BRH
2

10
BRH
3

9
DON
1

15
DON
2

8
DON
3

Ret
THR
1

11
THR
2

10
THR
3

9
OUL
1

14
OUL
2

Ret
OUL
3

12
CRO
1

Ret
CRO
2

12
CRO
3

12
SNE
1

Ret
SNE
2

13
SNE
3

15
KNO
1
KNO
2
KNO
3
19th12
Geoff Steel RacingBMW 320siROC
1

15
ROC
2

14
ROC
3

17
BRH
1

15
BRH
2

23
BRH
3

Ret
SIL
1

Ret
SIL
2

19
SIL
3

19
2012RCIB Insurance & HARD.Honda CivicBRH
1

18
BRH
2

13
BRH
3

10
DON
1

14
DON
2

7
DON
3

3
THR
1

11
THR
2

9
THR
3

Ret*
OUL
1

Ret
OUL
2

11
OUL
3

10
CRO
1

12
CRO
2

11
CRO
3

Ret
17th71
Thorney MotorsportVauxhall InsigniaSNE
1

13
SNE
2

Ret
SNE
3

Ret
KNO
1
KNO
2
KNO
3
ROC
1
ROC
2
ROC
3
SIL
1

Ret
SIL
2

Ret
SIL
3

Ret
RCIB Insurance & HARD.BRH
1

Ret
BRH
2

NC
BRH
3

16
2015RCIB Insurance RacingToyota AvensisBRH
1

BRH
2

BRH
3

DON
1

DON
2

DON
3

THR
1

THR
2

THR
3

OUL
1

OUL
2

OUL
3

CRO
1

CRO
2

CRO
3

SNE
1

SNE
2

SNE
3

KNO
1

KNO
2

KNO
3

ROC
1

ROC
2

ROC
3

SIL
1

Ret
SIL
2

20
SIL
3

15
BRH
1

22
BRH
2

20
BRH
3

20
31st1
2016TLC/RCIB Insurance RacingToyota AvensisBRH
1
BRH
2
BRH
3
DON
1
DON
2
DON
3
THR
1
THR
2
THR
3
OUL
1
OUL
2
OUL
3
CRO
1
CRO
2
CRO
3
SNE
1
SNE
2
SNE
3
KNO
1
KNO
2
KNO
3
ROC
1

24
ROC
2

Ret
ROC
3

Ret
SIL
1

NC
SIL
2

21
SIL
3

20
BRH
1

Ret
BRH
2

28
BRH
3

Ret
35th0

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Team HARD owner sets BTCC silverware target. 30 March 2017.
  2. News: BTCC official 2011 entry list. btcc.net. British Touring Car Championship. 2011-03-24. 2011-03-24. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120318012107/http://www.btcc.net/html/generalnews_detail.php?id=2294&month=3&year=2011&form=browse&searchterm=. 18 March 2012. dmy-all.
  3. News: Gilham and Triple Eight part ways. Touring-Cars.Net. 2011-08-22. 2011-08-24.
  4. Web site: TouringCarTimes - BTCC: Tony Gilham is back with Geoff Steel Racing . www.touringcartimes.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110910131715/http://www.touringcartimes.com/article.php?id=6677 . 2011-09-10.
  5. http://www.touringcartimes.com/article.php?id=7339 BTCC Media Day car livery picture special
  6. http://www.touringcartimes.com/article.php?id=7214 Tony Gilham to race Honda Civic turbo
  7. http://www.touringcartimes.com/article.php?id=7540 Gordon Shedden leads Honda 1–2 in race three at Thruxton
  8. Web site: Gilham to drive Thorney Motorsport NGTC Vauxhall Insignia in BTCC round at Snetterton. Autosport. Haymarket Publishing. 12 October 2012.
  9. Web site: Gilham to replace Stockton. BTCC.net. 12 October 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130704083453/http://www.btcc.net/html/generalnews_detail.php?id=3196&month=10&year=2012&form=browse&searchterm=. 4 July 2013. dmy-all.
  10. Web site: Two Insignias for HARD. BTCC.net. 16 October 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130704081350/http://www.btcc.net/html/generalnews_detail.php?id=3216&month=0&year=2012&form=&searchterm=. 4 July 2013. dmy-all.
  11. Web site: O'Leary. Jamie. Aaron Williamson to make BTCC debut in Brands Hatch finale. Autosport. Haymarket Publishing. 16 October 2012.