VX Racing has announced the long-awaited decision on the third driver for its 2005 British Touring Car Championship campaign. After much speculation, Gavin Smith joins the championship-winning team, taking the coveted Vauxhall seat to drive alongside former BTCC champion, Yvan Muller, and team mate Colin Turkington. Smith made his VX Racing debut at a test at Magny-Cours earlier this week as the team made its final preparations before the start of the BTCC season.

Smith, 27, from Dublin, Ireland, competed in the 2004 Holiday Inn Seat Cupra Championship, finishing fifth overall with three wins. He began tin-top racing in 1998 in the Fiat Uno Championship in Ireland, winning the series at his first attempt and moved over to the single-seater Irish Formula Opel series the following year.

After a year out in 2001 due to family commitments, Smith returned to the scholarship class of the British Formula 3 championship in 2002 before returning to saloon car racing in 2003 with the inaugural Seat Cupra Championship. He scored one win in the championship to finish fourth, and went on to win a further three races in the same series in 2004.

"Signing for Vauxhall is the highlight of my career so far," says Smith. "When you

VX Racing has announced the long-awaited decision on the third driver for its 2005 British Touring Car Championship campaign. After much speculation, Gavin Smith joins the championship-winning team, taking the coveted Vauxhall seat to drive alongside former BTCC champion, Yvan Muller, and team mate Colin Turkington. Smith made his VX Racing debut at a test at Magny-Cours earlier this week as the team made its final preparations before the start of the BTCC season.

this guy can drive,,, lets hope it works out for him

:(

would have liked to see Rob Collard in a works car

Good luck to Gavin , I hope he has a good season .

The reason why Vauxhall have delayed naming the 3rd driver is because he had to bring his own sponsorship ...........a few names were banded about , but until the money was in place nothing was certain .....