This weekend’s BTCC visit to Knockhill will see several drivers in absence. Both Forster Motorsport cars of Arthur Forster and Martin Depper will not be present, whilst Martin Johnson and Lea Wood will also miss the weekend’s races.
Forster Motorsport announced their intention to skip the Knockhill rounds last week, after Depper had a large crash in the final race of the day. The team plan on returning for the next meeting at Donington Park after Depper’s car has been repaired.
Lea Wood however has a more personal reason for missing the races. His brother Greg, who is also the team principal, is getting married this week and as a result there has been a lack of time to fully prepare his Honda Integra for the weekend’s action.
“Greg will be in Las Vegas on honeymoon but it might still have been do-able had we not blown the gearbox at Silverstone,” Wood told btcc.net. “We still need to source a ‘box and with us being a small family team we’ve just not got enough time, particularly with a wedding to arrange as well!”
Martin Johnson has been forced to give Knockhill a miss due to budget restrictions, making this the first BTCC meeting that he has not raced at since he joined the BTCC at the start of 2009. Instead Johnson remains focused on racing at the final two meetings of the year at Donington Park and Brands Hatch.
“I could go to Knockhill and pick up a few points, or I could go there and end up with damage or blow an engine and that could be the end of our season,” admitted Johnson to btcc.net. “I’d love to be racing at Knockhill but by missing it I know, looking at the balance sheet right now, I will be doing Donington and Brands.”
Although there will be several absentees and a reduced grid for Knockhill, Triple Eight Race Engineering will be fielding a second Vauxhall Vectra alongside current driver James Nash. Current Renault Clio Cup racer Jeff Smith, 44, will make his debut in the BTCC in a deal for the one meeting. He told Motorsport News: “I want to finish all the races, gain experience and understand what touring cars are all about. I am not getting any younger so I want to take these chances while I can.”
Daniel Lloyd, who raced for the Triple eight squad earlier in the season at Croft, remains focused on getting back out in the BTCC later this year and hopes to have a deal in place to race at the Donington Park meeting.