Pyper's out, Breeze's in.

GA Motorsport has announced that it will be running Carl Breeze for the remainder of the 2003 British Touring Car Championship season, after the Norfolk based racer parted company with Team Halfords.

Making his debut in the Astra Coupe at Croft this weekend, Breeze will takeover from Gavin Pyper, who after several gutsy performances during the first half of the season has had to withdraw from the Championship due to lack of funding.

"GA Motorsport is pleased to announce that Carl Breeze is now racing for the team," said GA Motorsports technical director Mike Thompson, commenting on the appointment. "It's great to run a driver with such a strong pedigree and we believe he will be an asset to the team. I'm sure Gavin will be at Croft this weekend and will be rooting for the team as always"

The move seems to further distance former BTCC champion Jason Plato from a drive at the team. Pre-season talk was of Plato campaigning the the GA Motorsports Astra alongside Pyper, but this now seems unlikely to happen. Plato meanwhile has had to console himself with less dangerous activities such as ten-pin bowling, though according to reports this was sufficiently hazardous for the former Vauxhall and Renault touring car driver to break his collar bone.

It is expected that 24 year old Danny Buxton will fill the vacancy created by Breeze's departure from Team Halfords, making the step up to the BTCC from the Elf Clio Renaultsport UK Cup.

A spokesman for Team Halfords confirmed that Carl had indeed moved on and that an official announcement would be made regarding his replacement on Friday.