This weekend the Dunlop British Touring Car Championship returns at Knockhill and there will be a new name on the grid.

Kieran Gallagher will be lining up for Gravesend’s Team HARD in the Vauxhall Insignia and at just 23 it is a massive opportunity for the young racing driver.

He is no stranger to Team HARD having driven for them in the VW Racing Cup in the last few rounds including last time out at Brands Hatch.

Kent Sports News caught up with him to get his thoughts on the VW Cup and the upcoming BTCC race this weekend.

He said: “Spa was a one off so to speak, Tony (Gilham) called me, I accepted, job done! 60 points was good for the first time in the car, as I was in a different one at Spa and having never raced the track.”

Kieran is no stranger to the team as he has worked with them in the form of the scholarship previously.

He added: “I had done the scholarship with Tony and team hard last year and they were a great bunch so I knew I wanted to be in the team from then on.”

“It is always a possibility for me to race with Team HARD, so I cannot confirm nor deny if I will be racing at Donington as yet.”

At Brands Hatch last time out in the VW Cup Kieran went through a range of issues that prevented him from getting the best out of it as he would have liked.

He added: “The car had issues with boost in qualifying, only getting in two laps before it started running a bit slow. Eighteenth out of 27 is not bad considering I only got one clear lap in where I was still heating up my tyres.”

“Race one I went from eighteenth to tenth, so that was good. The final race I went from tenth to seventh and the gearbox went. So I was unhappy at that, but knew I was on it and had it not been for the gear box I could have made the top five or six in the next lap or two.”

“A lot of people love Brands Hatch, I am now one of those. So I can see why people big it up.”

This weekend Kieran gets the opportunity to fulfil a lifelong ambition and he is grateful to Tony Gilham for giving the opportunity to race in the BTCC.

“I tested the insignia at Brands Hatch on the Wednesday before the VW cup weekend. I was really surprised to be offered the drive. Both my team and I have confidence that we can do good things at Knockhill.”

“If I perform as well as I should hopefully it will land me with some more sponsorship. I am very much looking forward to being next to some of the best in the business.”

“I have driven Knockhill plenty of times that is my home circuit, where I gained my licence, and where I race legends. So I am very familiar with every inch of the circuit.”

“Doing my best is all I am after really. A top 15 would be excellent. Having never driven anything of this calibre before, but we will take it as it comes, and aim high.”