Harry Vaulkhard

Harry Vaulkhard (born 14 October 1985) is a British racing driver who most notably competed in the British Touring Car Championship in 2008 and 2009, racing with Robertshaw Racing, Tempus Sport and Bamboo Engineering.

Career

Early career Vaulkhard driving at the Oulton Park round of the 2006 SEAT Cupra Championship. Vaulkhard's father, Nigel Vaulkhard, was a successful businessman in the Tyneside area, owning and operating a number of bars, and was also a keen classic touring car racer. Vaulkhard is a former motocross competitor, who began circuit racing in cars in 2004, by racing in the Northern Sports & Saloon Championship. For 2005, he switched to the SEAT Cupra Championship, with JS Motorsport. In 2006, he finished ninth overall, for the 2005 series winners Triple-R.

Vaulkhard went on to win the British SEAT Cupra R Championship in 2007 winning a test drive with the works SEAT BTCC squad and £100,000 prize fund, to this date the largest prize money in British Motorsport.

British Touring Car Championship Vaulkhard's graduation to the British Touring Car Championship for 2008 with Robertshaw Racing was confirmed in December 2007. His team-mates in the expanded team were the more experienced Matt Allison in another Lacetti, and Alan Taylor in a Honda Integra. Vaulkhard qualified tenth at Donington Park but scored no points. Vaulkhard driving the Tempus Sport Chevrolet Lacetti at Oulton Park during the 2009 British Touring Car Championship season. The Robertshaw team did not run them in 2009.

Vaulkhard qualified ahead of the works Chevrolet drivers at many rounds, but fifth was his best overall finish despite a few front row starts.

Vaulkhard went on to compete in the European Touring Car Championship in 2009, where he was leading the series until three laps from the end of the last race in Braga, Portugal, when he left the circuit, resulting in a final finishing position of fourth in the series.

World Touring Car Championship Bamboo and Vaulkhard moved to the World Touring Car Championship in 2010, with Darryl O'Young as teammate. At the third round in Monza he scored his and the team's first victory in the Independents' Trophy, as well as a main championship point for tenth overall. After the seventh round of the season while leading the Independents championship, he was forced to call time on his 2010 campaign due to a lack of funding. He would continue to attend WTCC events with the squad and was hopeful of finding the backing to return to racing for the final two rounds at Okayama and Macau.

Other series In 2012, Vaulkhard competed in four races in the 2012 Racecar Euro Series, driving a Chevrolet Impala for Team FJ. He also competed in four races in the Golf GTi Championship that year, scoring three podium finishes. In 2013, he went on to become the Touch of Mojo Golf GTi Champion. In 2014, he signed with Team HARD to race in the VW Cup under the PPCGB.com Racing banner. However this never came to fruition, he went on to win a third British title in the Volkswagen cup driving for Team Slide Sports.

Since 2011, Vaulkhard has commentated on the World Touring Car Championship for Eurosport.

Since 2020, Vaulkhard has competed within the British rallycross championships. He went on to win the Production 16V Championship in 2021 after a season of competing in the north east autocross championship which is run by Cramlington and District Motor Club.

Racing record

Career summary Season Series Team name Races Poles Wins Points Final Placing 2005 SEAT Cupra Championship Great Britain J.S. Motorsport 17 0 0 42 11th 2006 SEAT Cupra Championship Great Britain 42nd Street Realty/Triple R 18 0 0 69 9th 2007 SEAT Cupra Championship Great Britain Triple R (R-Class) 20 1 4 267 1st Renault Clio Cup Great Britain Winter Series Robertshaw Racing 4 3 0 41 11th 2008 British Touring Car Championship Robertshaw Racing 30 0 0 2 19th 2009 British Touring Car Championship Tempus Sport/Bamboo Engineering 30 0 0 22 16th 2010 World Touring Car Championship Bamboo Engineering 14 0 0 1 21st

Complete British Touring Car Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position – 1 point awarded 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 awarded all races)

Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 DC Pts 2008 Robertshaw Racing Chevrolet Lacetti BRH1 BRH2 BRH3 ROC1 ROC2 ROC3 DON1 DON2 DON3 THR1 THR2 THR3 CRO1 CRO2 CRO3 SNE1 SNE2 SNE3 OUL1 OUL2 OUL3 KNO1 KNO2 KNO3 SIL1 SIL2 SIL3 BRH1 BRH2 BRH3 19th 2 2009 Tempus Sport Chevrolet Lacetti BRH1 BRH2 BRH3 THR1 THR2 THR3 DON1 DON2 DON3 OUL1 OUL2 OUL3 CRO1 CRO2 CRO3 16th 22 Bamboo Engineering SNE1 SNE2 SNE3 KNO1 KNO2 KNO3 SIL1 SIL2 SIL3 ROC1 ROC2 ROC3 BRH1 BRH2 BRH3

Complete World Touring Car Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 DC Pts 2010 Bamboo Engineering Chevrolet Lacetti BRA1 BRA2 MAR1 MAR2 ITA1 ITA2 BEL1 BEL2 POR1 POR2 GBR1 GBR2 CZE1 CZE2 GER1 GER2 ESP1 ESP2 JPN1 JPN2 MAC1 MAC2 21st 1