RACING CAREER

Paul attended the prestigious Jim Russell Racing School in 1998 before starting his competitive career in the MGF cup, in 1999 and 2000.

In 2001 he took the step up to the production class of the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC), securing three class podiums and two class pole positions on his way to an eighth place finish overall.

Signed by Team Egg Sport to drive their semi-works Touring Class Vauxhall Astra Coupe for 2002, Paul finished eighth overall in the championship, but not before he secured an emotional first BTCC victory at his home circuit of Oulton Park.

Recalling the event;

"I got by going down toward Island Hairpin. It was really hot in the car and I had the windows down a couple of inches to try to keep cool. Even over a 7,500 RPM downshift I could hear the crowd going mad, cheering me on. It was just unbelievable."

Even better was to come in 2003, as having been signed by the factory Vauxhall team - VX Racing - to drive alongside Yvann Muller and James Thompson, Paul would go on to secure seven podium finishes, including a second race win at Snetterton, taking him to a fourth-place finish in the Championship that season.

A diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes in 2004 put pay to a competitive drive throughout 2004 and 2005, but in 2006 Paul returned to compete in the final two rounds of the BTCC for Tech-Speed, achieving an impressive three top-tens in the six remaining races.

Paul’s next full season in BTCC would come in 2009 - at the wheel of Tech-Speed’s Honda Integra Type-R - where a stunning mid-season run of 14 top ten finishes in 15 races saw him ultimately end the season in 12th overall.

Staying with Tech-Speed and the Honda Integra Type-R for 2010, Paul picked up where he left off, only finishing outside the top ten twice all season en route to ninth overall in the Championship that season.

The following year would be Paul’s last full season in BTCC, still with Tech-Speed but this time behind the wheel of a Chevrolet Cruze. Fifteen top ten results, including a third and two second place finishes, would see Paul finish the Championship in 10th overall.