Aron Taylor-Smith
Digital-Motorsports.com Ambassador & BTCC Driver
Arón will be part of the Digital Motorsports Brand Ambassador program for the 2021 BTCC season as he pilots the brand new Cupra BTCC car. The car first hit the track only last week at Brands Hatch and is looking to be one of the most competitive packages on the grid for this season. Árón is now entering his seventh season in the pinnacle of British Motorsport, the British Touring Car Championship. He set his sights on returning to the BTCC after exploring the GT world in 2018 & 2019.
"Don't get me wrong, I loved getting to drive GTs but to be honest - the racing just isn't the same. My heart was still in the BTCC and I had my sights set on returning after having to take a sabbatical in 2020 due to Covid. I do think that the two seasons of GTs helped me to progress as a driver and I feel as though I am returning to the BTCC with a new level of focus."
Árón drove the Bentley GT3 in the coveted Blancpain Sprint Series and even won a race before entering the GT4 paddock of British GT.
Prior to this, he was & still is the most successful Irish driver in the BTCC accumulating multiple race wins & podiums.
We asked him how we found the transition from FWD to RWD and now back to FWD;
"Personally I think if you can drive one thing fast then the skill set carries across and this was certainly the case. It was then all about refining technique to maximise performance but the fact is - if you're on the limit in either then you will be near the front. I am genuinely not just saying this but I truly believe that having the use of the sim will make a big difference to me for getting my eye back in with FWD. I reached out to Rob before Christmas as my plans to return to the BTCC were taking shape and he was helpful beyond belief."
As seen throughout many paddocks, drivers are now turning to simulators to help prepare themselves for the new season. After Árón spoke to us we began to piece together what we thought would be the right turn key simulator for him to use. It was clear that he needed something robust and realistic to mimic a BTCC car..
"I really had no idea about sims in general before speaking to Rob. I knew how effective they are but if you asked me what a 'Direct Drive' wheel was I wouldn't have had a clue. That's what I really liked about the whole process with Digital Motorsports - they are the experts and knew exactly what I needed. I didn't have to do a single 'google' search to learn about what certain components do, instead all I did was explain what I needed and within a week the simulator was delivered and installed in my house."
Árón will be part of the Digital Motorsports Brand Ambassador program for the 2021 BTCC season as he pilots the brand new Cupra BTCC car. The car first hit the track only last week at Brands Hatch and is looking to be one of the most competitive packages on the grid for this season. We will track Árón's progress over the course of the season and he will also be taking part in some of our own online races.
If you'd like to keep up to date with Aron's progress throughout the season & check out his social profiles below:
W : www.arontaylorsmith.com
T : www.twitter.com/arontaylorsmith
F : www.facebook.com/aronsmithracing
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