AMD switch sparks mid-season changes

Tom Boardman has split with the

AMD Tuning British Touring Car Championship team, which is looking for a replacement driver to complete the season.

Boardman, a race winner in 2011, rejoined the BTCC after a six-year break to race one of Amd’s ex-works MG6 GTS (right, top). The Lancastrian finished fourth in the rain-affected second race at the Brands Hatch season opener, but has only featured in the top 15 on one other occasion.

“It’s always a difficult decision to make changes to any of our team personnel but the long-term aims and goals of the team must come first,” said AMD boss Shaun Hollamby. “We will be replacing Tom Boardman for the second half of the BTCC .”

Boardman said he was shocked by the decision. “The first I knew about this was when I read it on social media and I was very disappointed,” said Boardman. “My results were varied in the first half of the season having had problems with the car’s set-up in qualifying. The fact that I am actually leading the Forever Forward standings [a Dunlop-backed award for the most positions gained in a race] surely shows my racing abilities are very much alive. However, this is Amd’s decision so let it be. I’m sure I will live to fight another day even if this is maybe next season now.”

Hollamby said he was in contact with possible replacement drivers and a decision would be made by the end of the month.

The team is required to find a driver to run in the second half of the season under the terms of its TOCA BTCC licence, which all entrants must have.

Meanwhile, seven-time race winner

Tom Onslow-cole will return to the wheel of a BTCC machine at Snetterton this week when he takes part in the official Dunlop tyre test. He will drive a Team Hard Volkswagen CC for one of the two days on the Snetterton 300 layout. Ginetta GT4 Supercup racer Carl Boardley and BTCC refugee Dan Welch will also drive for Team Hard, alongside VW Cup racer Jamie Bond. There are no plans for regular pilot Jake Hill (right, below) to run at Snetterton, which calls into question his future with the team.