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Team HARD. announce driver changes ahead of Knockhill meeting

By MJP Media | 14 August 2013

Jack Goff will miss the next event in the 2013 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship after deciding to focus on the final three rounds of the season.

Jack Goff in the Team HARD. Vauxhall Insignia

Team HARD. confirmed it had taken everything into account following lengthy discussions between sponsors, Jack and the team and believes the decision to skip Knockhill will ultimately benefit Goff's progress in the long run. Goff has shown impressive pace recently, including third position in the pre-Snetterton tyre test before going on to score his best qualifying result of the season with eighth at the Snetterton race weekend. The 22-year-old has never been to Knockhill however and feels it would be best to concentrate on a final push at Rockingham, Silverstone and Brands Hatch to close out his maiden BTCC campaign.

"Jack has shown some astonishing pace at times already this season and we know the car is very quick." said Team HARD. boss Tony Gilham. He continued: "There is plenty more to come from Jack and the Insignia and we look forward to seeing what he can do when we get to Rockingham in a few weeks time. I'm sure he will be back better than ever and finally get the positions he deserves. I am confident that we will still see Jack on the podium this year - he has the pace and just needs to get that little bit of luck that has been missing so far this season."

Jack Goff with Team HARD. boss Tony Gilham

Meanwhile, Paul O'Neill is back in the BTCC after Team HARD. confirmed the two-time race winner will drive one of its Vauxhall Insignias at Knockhill. The deal, which is currently for the Scottish round only, is set to delight the tens of thousands of spectators making the trip to the tight and twisty circuit and the many more watching on TV as O'Neill has long been a fans' favourite in the BTCC. Having made his debut in the Production Class back in 2001, Paul moved to Vauxhall a year later where he famously scored a tearful first BTCC win at Oulton Park. Another victory followed in 2003 for the works VX Racing team before O'Neill was diagnosed with diabetes which immediately halted his tin-top career.

Bit-part seasons followed before Paul made an emotional return to full-time BTCC racing with Tech-Speed in 2009 where he stepped on to the podium for the first time in six years with a hard fought third place at Snetterton. Six more rostrums followed across 2010 and 2011 before he went on to contest just two rounds of the championship last season in a Speedworks Toyota Avensis. Having sat out the 2013 season so far, the 33-year-old has now been handed an opportunity by Team HARD. boss Tony Gilham which will see an all-new line-up in his squad's Insignias. After Jack Goff's decision to miss the next round it has been confirmed that Scotsman and Knockhill specialist Kieran Gallagher will now drive his car, whilst O'Neill will race the RCIB Insurance Racing machine most recently driven by American Robb Holland.

Paul O'Neill in the 2012 Speedworks Toyota Avensis

"I am delighted to be back in a touring car and to be invited to do so is even more flattering." said O'Neill. "My ITV commitments come first this season but they've been really supportive about this opportunity. We all feel it should provide an insightful spectacle for the TV viewers too, so I am really thankful to Tony [Gilham] and everyone involved."

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