Alex Martin will not compete in next weekend’s British Touring Car Championship meeting at Thruxton, with the Ford Focus driver set for an operation on his back next week.
Martin had been forced to miss two days of testing earlier in the year having suffered from two slipped discs and, with the long-standing injury still tormenting the series rookie, he will now miss the third round of the season at the Hampshire circuit to allow him to recover from a microdiscectomy procedure.
While the Dextra Racing driver admitted that he would be disappointed to miss the weekend, he hoped that the decision would pay off as he looks to put an end to his discomfort.
“It’s obviously frustrating but in many ways I’m excited about finally getting back to 100 per cent fitness,” he said. “It’s an old injury – one that I thought I could nurse through to the winter – but I’ve just been in so much pain that I had to make the decision to have surgery now.”
Martin’s absence from the race weekend also means he will miss his ‘home’ event, but he reiterated his belief that the break would allow him to show his full potential in the championship.
“It’s a shame to miss my home event of course,” he conceded. “I’ve really enjoyed being a part of the BTCC but in truth I haven’t felt like I could perform to the best of my ability due to the injury. I haven’t really been able to sleep and I’m in too much pain when I drive, so it’s best that we get it right and come back stronger for the rest of the season.”