Hunter Abbott has confirmed he will miss the Knockhill rounds of the 2015 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship in mid-August as his first child his due to be born that weekend.

Team Principal Rob Austin will line up on the grid in his Exocet AlcoSense A4, but he is on the hunt for a ‘stand-in’ for Hunter and believes whoever gets the seat will have a golden opportunity to shine in front of the BTCC’s live ITV4 cameras.

“If you need any further proof then just look at the results the Audi has achieved at Knockhill – it’s qualified on the front row of the grid in both the last two years (including pole position in 2013) and also taken four podium results out of the last six races there,” commented Rob.

“This is a one-off for a driver of the right calibre and with budget to cover the race weekend and some testing prior to the event. We wanted to get this offer out there as soon as possible to give ourselves the best possible chance to find the right driver for the job.

“Ultimately it’s a fantastic opportunity for any driver – whether they have previous BTCC experience or are looking to contest the championship – to make some big headlines.”

Hunter said: “I’m absolutely gutted to miss Knockhill as the Audi performs so well there, but I would be exponentially more gutted to miss the birth of our first child.

“Sod’s Law of course says the baby will be early or late so I could have made Knockhill, but being at the opposite end of the country and getting back in time is just too risky.”

Abbott will soon be in action over the summer break, as he has just been confirmed for the Dunlop tyre test at Snetterton on 16 July. Click here for more information.