JANUARY 9, 2003

CART announces Brands Hatch race

CART CEO Chris Pook announced at the Autosport International show that his open wheeled series will return to Brands Hatch in 2003, for the first time since 1978. The now "Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford" will race on the short Indy circuit layout of the British track over the weekend of May 3rd through 5th, and will be supported by the British Touring Car Championship.

The Brands Hatch event will replace Rockingham as the only British round of the Champ Car series. The Rockingham event was dropped from the series after two years, the event promoters declaring that the race was not a money maker.

Speaking of Brands Hatch in Birmingham Thursday, Pook said, "It's a fabulous race track for us and our cars, and the public will be able to see virtually every aspect of it from anywhere on the circuit. The Indy circuit isn't really an oval, but it is as close to a road racing oval as you are going to get."