Btcc’S Jack Of All Trades Masters Lotus Racing

Rising star Jack Goff took a weekend away from the British Touring Car Championship to race in LoTRDC’s three UK championships this weekend at Snetterton (5-6 April).

The RCIB Insurance Racing Vauxhall Insignia driver was originally signed up to drive a car in the Elise Trophy, however he ended up taking part in the Lotus Cup UK endurance race and a Lotus Cup UK Speed Championship sprint, taking podiums in three of the contests!

His busy weekend started on Saturday in the 90-minute Lotus Cup UK race on board an Exige with regular driver Phill Capstick, whom Goff has previously competed with in the championship. The pair eventually finished in seventh place, and fourth in class. The next day, Jack battled hard with GT racer Fulvio Mussi and club regular Adam Gore in the Elise Trophy, taking a brace of second place finishes. This was then followed with a round of the Lotus Cup UK Speed Championship in a road-going Elise, where he posted another seventh place, this time third in class, despite having a 35bhp deficit to the fastest cars in his category.

Speaking after the last of his commitments, Jack explained his exhaustive schedule:

“(Lotus racing team) Datum Motorsport offered me a go in an Elise Production car in the Elise Trophy, and I jumped at the chance. Then Phill Capstick’s team mate pulled out of the Lotus Cup at the last minute, so he rang me on Thursday night and said: ‘fancy a go in that as well?’ Finally at the dinner table last night (sprint car owner) Emma Newman and (Lotus championship organiser) Paul Golding came up with a plan for me to do the sprint as well, so it’s been absolutely flat out this weekend, but it’s been really enjoyable!”

“The cars have all been absolutely fantastic, I’ve had no issues at all, so Datum have done a brilliant job setting them up,” he continued. Comparing them to his regular mount, Jack, who races for the BTCC team run by former Elise Trophy competitor Warren Scott, quipped: “They’re a lot smaller, and feel like go-karts. I would really recommend anybody who wants to get into racing, or experienced people to have a go as well. I did keep an eye on my mirrors once or twice, waiting for someone to come down the grass locked up! There’s been some very close racing, especially between me, Fulvio Mussi and Adam Gore, but no contact at all, so it’s been brilliant.

“You never stop learning wherever you go, I haven’t got masses of rear wheel drive experience, so to get some more laps under my belt in lots of different cars this week has been fantastic. Every lap counts really; to progress me, my technique and the cars as well. I’d jump at the chance to do it again, I’ve had a smile on my face all weekend, and there’s been no pressure.”