OCTOBER 28, 2003

Wirdheim to try out a Champ Car

Formula 3000 Champion Bjorn Wirdheim will get his first taste of Champ Car racing shortly as part of his prize for winning this year's FIA International Formula 3000 title.

Formula 3000 Champion Bjorn Wirdheim will get his first taste of Champ Car racing shortly as part of his prize for winning this year's FIA International Formula 3000 title. The 23-year-old Swede will be testing a Patrick Racing Lola at the new Arizona Motorsports Park, under the guidance of team boss Jim McGee.

"I met Jim McGee at Indianapolis before the Grand Prix and got a good impression of the team. I expect the car to be very different to F1 but it will be interesting to see how things compare in style and handling," said Wirdheim.

This is the first time that the F3000 Champion has been rewarded with a guaranteed test, which was organized by Christian Horner, the boss of Arden Motorsport and the teams' representative to the FIA, with the help of both Lola and Patrick Racing.

"We believe that a test like this will enable Bjorn to show that Formula 3000 is the number one category for feeding world class series like Champ Car," said Lola's managing-director Rupert Manwaring.

Formula 3000 has been feeding new drivers into CART on a regular basis in recent years, notably with Juan Pablo Montoya, Bruno Junqueira and Sebastien Bourdais.