BRITISH DRIVERS TAKE ONE-TWO IN ROUND 2 OF THE FRAN-AM PRO CHAMPIONSHIP

Montreal, Quebec, Canada, May 18th, 2003 - British drivers Charles Hall - the
reigning champion of the Fran-Am Pro and Formula Renault World Winter Series -
and Robert Bell - a two-time British Formula Renault Winter Series champion -
captured first and second place today in Round 2 of the North American Fran-
Am Pro Championship held on Barber Motorsport Park's road course in Alabama.

Rain fell hard before the start of the 21-lap Fran-Am Pro race. The track was
still very wet when the field completed the parade lap with Robert Bell on
pole position. At the start, Bell managed to stay in first place but was
chased hard by Charles Hall. Bell, who drives for Team FirstAir, led the
first laps with Hall, one of three drivers of team Gelles Racing in hot
pursuit. Their battle was fantastic with both drivers showing superb driving
skills on the slippery tarmac.

On lap 8, Hall executed a brilliant passing maneuver to slip ahead of Bell.
And Hall quickly put some distance on Bell and the rest of the field.
Meanwhile, Turkish driver Can Artam was driving a fantastic race despite
these treacherous conditions. The Turkish driver - who has raced Formula 3 in
the past - was racing in the rain for the first time in his career. He made
it up into third position and battling hard with Canadian Mark Wilkins.
Argentina's Juan Martin Ponté was also driving a fabulous race. Due to a
technical infraction, Ponté started the race from last place but was up in
sixth position a few laps before the end, having set the fastest lap of the
race.

At the checkered on lap 21, the order was Charles Hall, Robert Bell, Can
Artam, Mark Wilkins, Canadian rookie Andrew Ranger and Juan Martin Ponté.
Hall beat Bell by 22.7 seconds. The results were still provisional at time of
writing as technical scrutinizing was not completed.

"It was dry all week and when we saw the rain this morning we elected to go
with a full rain set-up," said Robert Bell. "It proved to be a mistake
because going to a dry set-up with rain tires proved to be the right
combination. For the first six laps my car was great. After that, there was
less water on the track and my car was slower than that of Charles Hall.
Anyway, I drove as hard as I could and to finish second in these
circumstances is not that bad.. "

Unfortunately, we don't have Charles Hall's nor Can Artam's comments. The two
very wet drivers left the circuit immediately after the podium ceremonies.
Our apologies.

RACE RESULTS - Barber Motorsport Park, Round 2
TOP 10
PROVISIONAL

Pos No. Name Laps Diff Best Tm
1 1 Charles Hall 21 1:33.886
2 7 Robert Bell 21 22.785 1:35.491
3 77 Can Artam 21 33.634 1:34.706
4 34 Mark Wilkins 21 33.787 1:34.608
5 27 Andrew Ranger 21 34.830 1:34.901
6 50 Juan Martin Ponte 21 44.698 1:32.978
7 3 Antoine Bessette 21 46.475 1:34.955
8 59 Matt Green 21 48.823 1:34.000
9 2 Kuno Wittmer 21 1:10.106 1:34.650
10 29 Ricardo Imery 21 1:13.732 1:34.494

Next round: Formula 1 Air Canada Grand Prix, Gilles Villeneuve Circuit,
Montreal (Canada), June 13, 14 and 15.

LOPEZ TAKES WIN IN PHOENIX

Phoenix, Arizona, May 3rd, 2003 – Mexican race car driver Aurelio Lopez captured today his maiden Fran-Am victory in Round 1 of the 2003 Fran-Am Sport 2000 North American Professional Championship Series in Phoenix International Raceway’s road course.

Argentina’s Juan Martin Ponté started from pole position and led the first half of the race. On lap 6, he already was four seconds ahead of the rest of the pack. Lopez was running in second place, followed by Britain’s Robert Bell, Canadian Andrew Ranger and Sean McIntosh.

On lap 21, a full course yellow bunched up the field. At the restart three laps later, Ponté say in the lead. A few laps later, Ponté was passed going into Corner 1 by Lopez. Ponté turned in too late and spun, falling back into fourth place. Simultaneously, Ranger managed to slide inside Bell in Corner 1. On lap 27 there was another full course yellow. At the restart on lap 30 there was a major contact mid-pack. Tim Barber’s car was sent into the wall and ricocheted in the middle of the track. That forced the officials to stop the race and display the checkered flag because Barber’s car was right in the middle of the race track. The finish order was Aurelio Lopez, Andrew Ranger, Robert Bell and Juan Martin Ponté.

QUOTES

WINNER - Aurelio LOPEZ (Mexico)

"I stayed focused all race long, waiting for the leader to make a mistake. It happened afer the second restart. I was ready and I went on the inside. Ponté ran wide and did not get it back in time and spun. My car was well balanced and I was doing consistent lap times. I am extremely happy with this, my first Fran-Am victory."

SECOND PLACE – Andrew RANGER (Canada)

"What a race that was! I had a good fight with Robert Bell. I passed him with a good move. I could have passed race leader Lopez if the race would have stayed green until the end. I had my move prepared but the red flag stopped the race. This was my first car race and I am extremely pleased with the result."

THIRD PLACE - Robert BELL (Great Britain)

"This was the hardest race of my life, especially with this kind of intense heat. It was hard racing from start to finish. Ponté got a good lead while Aurelio and I had a good battle. The full course yellows helped me out. On the second restart there was a back marker in the way and I was forced to back off and that’s when Ranger passed me."

Next round: Barber Motorsport Park, Alabama, May 16-17-18

FRAN-AM WINTER SERIES FINALE IN ST. PETERSBURG
Preview of Round 5 of the 2003 Fran-Am World Championship Winter Series

Montreal, Canada, February 20, 2003 – The highly exciting 2003 Fran-Am 2000 and Formula Renault 2000 World Championship Winter Series will conclude this weekend in St. Petersburg, Florida with the presentation of the fifth and championship deciding round. The Fran-Am and Formula Renault drivers will be part of the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg - the opening round of the prestigious 2003 CART Champ Car Series.

The points battle is incredibly tight as only 58 points separate the top five drivers in the standings. With a win worth 80 points, the title is far from being decided and the St. Petersburg event will be hotly contested. The drivers will also compete for a prize fund of US$100,000, with US$36,000 to be given to the champion. Additionally, the first three drivers in the championship standings will be awarded a test in the new Formula Renault V-6 racer in Europe – a single seater powered by a 372-horsepower V-6 engine.

Seventeen-year old Argentine driver Juan Martin Ponte leads the standings with a total of 245 points. Ponte, the only two-time race winner in the Winter Series, drives for Antonio Ferrari’s Eurointernational stable. Ponte also finished fourth in Miami-Homestead this past weekend, scoring valuable championship points.

Second in the standings - just 39 points behind Ponte - is Britain’s Robert Bell. The 23-year old driver from West Hunsbury, Great Britain captured victory in the opening race in Sebring and then finished third and fourth in Rounds 2 and 3. Bell, a two-time British Formula Renault Winter Series champion, looks forward to a great performance on St. Petersburg’s new street course.

Italian Giorgio Mondini – the other driver of team Eurointernational – has been very consistent so far this year. The 22-year old driver has competed in the European Formula Renault 2000 series last season, ranking 12th in the championship. In the Winter Series, Mondini finished fifth in Sebring’s second race, and then was second in Rounds 3 and 4. At this moment, it is not possible to confirm Giorgio Mondini’s participation in the St. Petersburg finale. Giorgio left Florida for Italy immediately after the second Miami Homestead race last Sunday, his younger brother having been tragically killed in a car accident.

Great Britain’s Charles Hall won Round 4 in Homestead and lies fourth in the standings, just eight points behind Mondini. The 20-year old Hall – who has raced Formula 3 in Great Britain last year – may well cause another surprise in St. Petersburg.

Other drivers to watch for in this fifth and final race of the Fran-Am and Formula Renault Winter Series include Robert Scott (Ireland, Team Motaworld), Tim Barber (USA, Gelles Racing), Alex Lloyd (Great Britain, Team Motaworld), James Murphy (Ireland, Team Firstair) and Michele Bartyan (Italy, Project Italia).

To make things even more exciting, the series’ organisers invite only the top 30 drivers in the standings to compete in the St. Petersburg’s finale. “Only the top 30 drivers are invited to compete. If, for some reason, one driver cannot come, we’ll invite the 31st driver and so on,” explained Andrew Field, Director of Marketing at Fran-Am. “We’ll have 30 drivers for qualifying but only the 26 fastest will be allowed to take the start of the race. With so much money up for grabs and the unique chance to test a Renault V-6 car in Europe, it will undoubtedly be a very exciting race in St. Petersburg!”

The World Winter Series
The Winter Series is opened to Fran-Am and Formula Renault single seaters powered by two-litre engines. These race cars are powered by 186-horsepower, four-cylinder Renault engines, are fitted with front and rear wings and are shod on slick Michelin tires. The competitors are amongst the world’s best up and coming race car drivers who will soon be the next Formula 1 and CART Series’ drivers.

Provisional point standings (unofficial top 5)
After round 4 out of 5

1- Juan Martin Ponte (Argentina), 245 points
2- Robert Bell (Great Britain), 206
3- Giorgio Mondini (Italy), 204
4- Charles Hall (Great Britain), 196
5- James Murphy (Ireland), 187

CHARLES HALL CAPTURES FIRST FRAN-AM VICTORY
Round 4 of the 2003 Fran-Am Winter Series

Miami-Homestead, Florida, February 16, 2003 – Great Britain’s Charles Hall captured today his first victory in the 2003 Fran-Am 2000 and Formula Renault 2000 World Winter Series, claiming victory in Round 4 of the Winter Series held on Miami-Homestead’s road course. The 20-year old driver - who has some Formula 3 experience under his belt - became the third different race winner in four races. Only Juan Martin Ponte managed to win two races in this hotly contested Winter Series. Italian Giorgio Mondini finished today’s race in second place, beating Ireland’s James Murphy and Argentina’s Juan Martin Ponte.

Juan Martin Ponte, 17, started the race from pole position and got away nicely from the grid at the start. There was a lot of action and wheel to wheel battles as the drivers wrestled for positions going into Corner 1. The race was marred by numerous off track excursions and spins. Three times the race officials needed to call the Pace Car into action. And unexpectedly, Ponte started to go backwards and lost a few places, giving the lead of the race to Charles Hall.

A crash happened just a few laps from the end and brought out the yellow flags for a third time. The race was finally restarted for a nail biting, one-lap dash. Hall maintained his lead despite the intense pressure his pursuers put on him. He crossed the line in first place to win his first Fran-Am race. Giorgio Mondini arrived in second place while James Murphy and Juan Martin Ponte finished third and fourth, respectively.

In the points standings, only 49 points separate the top five drivers. Ponte is first with 236 points but is chased by Robert Bell who’s second with 206. The title will be decided next week in St. Petersburg.

The fifth and final round of the 2003 Winter Series will be held next week at the opening race of the CART Champ Car Championship in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Fran-Am race will be held Sunday morning.

QUOTES

WINNER – CHARLES HALL (Great Britain)
“I finally won a Fran-Am race. It’s been a long time. We made some little changes to the car yesterday night after Round 3. I didn’t want to upset the car because it was quite good. The team managed to get the car working very well. I am very pleased.”

SECOND PLACE – GIORGIO MONDINI (Italy)
Giorgio Mondini left the Homestead motor sport facility immediately after the race to return in Italy. Yesterday, his younger brother was killed in a car accident but Giorgio wanted to contest this second race of the weekend. Immediately after the race ended, he left the circuit for the airport.

THIRD PLACE – JAMES MURPHY (Ireland)
“Qualifying did not go too well for me. I started to push more and more and when I was on a hot lap, I got caught in slower traffic. But I knew we would be quick in the race. It was pretty tough during the race and I had to pass a few cars. The restarts were especially difficult with all the cars going into Corner 1, dicing for positions. I kept my head down all race long and kept out of trouble.”

Provisional point standings (unofficial top 5)

After round 4 out of 5

1- Juan Martin Ponte (Argentina), 236 points

2- Robert Bell (Great Britain), 206

3- Giorgio Mondini (Italy), 204

4- Charles Hall (Great Britain), 196

5- James Murphy (Ireland), 187

The Winter Series is opened to Fran-Am and Formula Renault single seaters powered by two-litre engines. These race cars are powered by 185-horsepower, four-cylinder Renault engines, are fitted with front and rear wings and are shod on slick Michelin tires. The competitors are amongst the world’s best up and coming race car drivers who will soon be the next Formula 1 and CART Series’ drivers. The drivers compete for a cash prize fund of U.S. $100,000 and a free test drive in the new Formula Renault V6 car in Europe.

2003 Fran-Am 2000 and Formula Renault 2000 World Championship Winter Series schedule

Round 5 February 22 St. Petersburg CART Grand Prix, Florida

A SECOND WIN IN SUCCESSION FOR PONTE
Round 3 of the 2003 Fran-Am Winter Series

Miami-Homestead, Florida, February 15, 2003 – Seventeen-year old Argentinean race car driver Juan Martin Ponte scored today on Miami Homestead’s road course his second victory in a row in Round 3 of the 2003 Fran-Am and Formula Renault 2000 International Winter Series.

Twenty-two year old Italian Giorgio Mondini drove a strong race to cross the line in second place. Eighteen-year old Alex Lloyd from Great Britain arrived home in third place, beating his countryman Robert Bell.

The field of 33 cars was ready for the start when stalled cars caused it to be delayed. The procedure was repeated and the field got away nicely this time. The dash for Turn 1 was extremely exciting with numerous cars dicing for positions. Pole sitter Juan Martin Ponte, the winner of Round 2 in Sebring, enjoyed a good start and led the field. Behind Ponte, Italian drivers Michele Bartyan and Giorgio Mondini worked together to box in Britain’s Alex Lloyd. The strategy helped the two Italians get past Lloyd in the first corner but it also allowed race leader Ponte to increase his lead.

Holland’s Junior Strous qualified well in his first Fran-Am race, starting in fifth place. Unfortunately, he had a bad start and fell down the field. The 16-year old driver pushed very hard and sliced through the field to eventually finish in eighth place.

American Matt Green hit the wall hard between Turns 7 and 8 on lap 13. Green requested medical attention from the marshals and that brought out a full course yellow. Green was checked by the medical staff and luckily only suffered minor swelling and bruises.

Ponte, driving for Antonio Ferrari’s Team Eurointernational, controlled the 23-lap race all the way to the chequered flag. Mondini finished second, beating Lloyd. The winner of Round 1, Britain’s Robert Bell had a strong race, finishing just off the podium in fourth position. His team mate at Team Firstair – James Murphy – also ran strongly to finish sixth.

The 4th race of the Winter Series will be staged tomorrow afternoon still on Miami Homestead’s road course.

QUOTES

WINNER – JUAN MARTIN PONTE (Argentina)
“I got caught at the start but it proved to be a good one. I went in Turn 1 in the lead. My car started to develop turn-in understeer during the race but luckily I was able to keep it under control until the flag. I certainly hope to do the same tomorrow!”

The Winter Series is opened to Fran-Am and Formula Renault single seaters powered by two-litre engines. These race cars are powered by 185-horsepower, four-cylinder Renault engines, are fitted with front and rear wings and are shod on slick Michelin tires. The competitors are amongst the world’s best up and coming race car drivers who will soon be the next Formula 1 and CART Series’ drivers. The drivers compete for a cash prize fund of U.S. $100,000 and a free test drive in the new Formula Renault V6 car in Europe.

2003 Fran-Am 2000 and Formula Renault 2000 World Championship Winter Series schedule

Round 4 February 16 Miami, Homestead Speedway, Florida
Round 5 February 22 St. Petersburg CART Grand Prix, Florida

For additional information about Fran-Am Sport, please visit the official web site at:

www.fran-am.com.

FRAN-AM WINTER SERIES MOVES TO MIAMI
Preview of Rounds 3 & 4 of the 2003 Fran-Am World Winter Series

Montreal, Canada, February 12, 2003 – The next two rounds of the hotly disputed 2003 Fran-Am 2000 and Formula Renault 2000 World Championship Winter Series will be held this weekend on Miami Homestead’s road course located south of the city of Miami, Florida. The World Winter Series is truly an international series starring 36 drivers coming from 13 different countries including Great Britain, United-States, Mexico, Canada, Argentina, Brazil and Ecuador to name just a few. Several teams have brought cars, transporters and crew over to Florida for the series from countries like United Kingdom, Italy and Mexico.

In the opening two rounds held in Sebring, Florida three weeks ago this five-race series proved to be extremely competitive. The top 13 competitors qualified within one second and two different drivers emerged as race winners. Great Britain’s Robert Bell won the first race while Argentina’s Juan Martin Ponte captured victory in round two.

Robert Bell, the 23-year old driver of the Firstair/Aerospace Fastner car is a two-time British Formula Renault Winter Series champion and now lies on top of the standings with a total of 146 points. American Jeff Simmons, who competed in the Indy Lights Series in 2000, is second in the standings with 118 points, having claimed second place in the opening round. Mexico City’s Homero Richards is currently third in the standings with 92 points, leading Argentina’s Juan Martin Ponte by just two points. The 17-year old Ponte is a vastly experienced driver, having contested the Italian Formula Renault Championship in 2002.

There will be plenty of action on Miami Homestead’s road course with the presentation of two races in just two days. Many drivers will fight fiercely because only the top 25 drivers in the standings will be allowed to contest the final, fifth race which will be held on St. Petersburg’s street course during the opening round of the 2003 CART World Series. The drivers will also to for the series’ title, a cash prize fund of U.S. $100,000 and a free test drive in the new Formula Renault V6 car in Europe.

“I’m really happy to stand on top of the point standings after two races,” said championship leader Robert Bell. “My goal is to win in Homestead. I cannot afford to drive too cautiously. I’ll go for the victory. We like winning and we like the taste of champagne ! But I’ll drive with my head and if I cannot win, I’ll take second place to score valuable championship points.”

The Winter Series is opened to Fran-Am and Formula Renault single seaters powered by two-litre engines. These race cars are powered by 185-horsepower, four-cylinder Renault engines, are fitted with front and rear wings and are shod on slick Michelin tires. The competitors are amongst the world’s best up and coming race car drivers who will soon be the next Formula 1 and CART Series’ drivers.

Point standings (after 2 rounds of 5)

Robert BELL (Great Britain), 146 points
Jeff SIMMONS (USA), 118 points
Homero RICHARDS (Mexico), 92 points
Juan Martin PONTE (Argentina), 90 points
Ricardo IMERY (Venezuela), 88 points

2003 Fran-Am 2000 and Formula Renault 2000 World Championship Winter Series schedule

Round 3 February 15 Miami, Homestead Speedway, Florida
Round 4 February 16 Miami, Homestead Speedway, Florida
Round 5 February 22 St. Petersburg CART Grand Prix, Florida

For additional information about Fran-Am Sport, please visit the official web site at:

www.fran-am.com.

JUAN MARTIN PONTE TAKES FIRST PLACE
Round 2 of the 2003 Fran-Am Winter Series

Sebring, Florida, January 26, 2003 – In a stunning drive, 17-year old Argentinean Juan Martin Ponte captured a brilliant victory in Round 2 of the 2003 Fran-Am and Formula Renault 2000 International Winter Series held today on Sebring’s road course. Ponte, who lives in Entre Rios, Argentina debuted his racing career driving Formula Renaults en Argentina and contested the last two seasons in the hotly disputed Italian Formula Renault Championship. Britain’s Robert Bell finished third to take the lead in the point standings.

The race was again held in warm weather. Moments before the lights turned green, second-place starter, Italian Giorgio Mondini stalled his engine. Instead of putting him at the back of the grid for the restart, Mondini was given a stop-and-go penalty to be executed during the race. At the green, Mondini immediately took first place, leading the other 35 cars. The 22-year old Italian led the race until he had to pit for his penalty, giving first place to Ponte. The Argentinean, driving for Antonio Ferrari’s Team Eurointernational, controlled the race all the way to the chequered flag, scoring his first win in the series.

Eighteen-year old British driver Alex Lloyd of team Motaworld arrived home in second place, scoring his first points in the Winter Series. The winner of Round 1, Britain’s Robert Bell finished the race in third position, taking the lead in the standings with a total of 146 points.

QUOTES

WINNER – JUAN MARTIN PONTE (Argentina)
“It was a very fun race. It’s great to win after such a hard fight. To win like this is extremely satisfying. I hope the championship will continue like this! After what happened yesterday, I’m really happy to finish first today. I want to thanks the mechanics and my sponsors. I will work harder to win again in Miami.”

SECOND PLACE – ALEX LLOYD (Great Britain)
“I had a good race. There was a lot of action everywhere on the track. I took the start in third place but lost one spot to run fourth in the early laps. Some guys fell off and I managed to make it to second position. However, the leader was just a bit too fast for us today and I was not able to catch him. But my goal was to finish on the podium and to score points. Only the top 25 drivers in the standings will be allowed to race in St. Petersburg and I wanted to be one of them.”

THIRD PLACE – ROBERT BELL (Great Britain)
“I’m not really surprised with the intense level of competition of this series. There are five or six guys who are really on it and we expected that. I’m really happy to stand on top of the point standings after two races. We won’t be testing before Homestead. We’re going back to England and we’ll return here just a few days before the race. My goal is to win in Homestead. I cannot drive too cautiously. I’ll go for the victory.”

Rounds 3 and 4 will be held in two weeks, February 15 and 16 at Miami Homestead’s road course in Florida.

The Winter Series is opened to Fran-Am and Formula Renault single seaters powered by two-litre engines. These race cars are powered by 185-horsepower, four-cylinder Renault engines, are fitted with front and rear wings and are shod on slick Michelin tires. The competitors are amongst the world’s best up and coming race car drivers who will soon be the next Formula 1 and CART Series’ drivers. The drivers compete for a cash prize fund of U.S. $100,000 and a free test drive in the new Formula Renault V6 car in Europe.

2003 Fran-Am 2000 and Formula Renault 2000 World Championship Winter Series schedule

Round 3 February 15 Miami, Homestead Speedway, Florida

Round 4 February 16 Miami, Homestead Speedway, Florida

Round 5 February 22 St. Petersburg CART Grand Prix, Florida

For additional information about Fran-Am Sport, please visit the official web site at:

www.fran-am.com.

VICTORY FOR ROBERT BELL
Round 1 of the 2003 Fran-Am Winter Series

Sebring, Florida, January 26, 2003 – British driver Robert Bell captured victory in the opening round of the 2003 Fran-Am and Formula Renault 2000 International Winter Series held yesterday on Sebring’s road course.

However, the results of the race are still unofficial today because of a malfunctioning of the electronic timing system. Race stewards were forced to verify the teams’ manual lap charts to verify the position of each car at each lap. Additionally, a post race technical disqualification prevented the race stewards to issue official results.

The weather was fine and warm in Sebring, Florida when the cars lined up on the grid for the start of the 12-lap race. The field of 36 cars took the standing start with Argentina’s Juan Martin Ponte on pole position. The race was hardly fought, especially at the front of the field. Ponte – who competed in the Italian Formula Renault Championship last year – and Bell – a two-time British Formula Renault Winter Series Champion – battled fiercely for the lead all race long.

At the end of the race, 23-year old Robert Bell – driving for British Team Firstair – crossed the line in first place. Unofficially, American Jeff Simmons from New York arrived in second place, followed by 21-year old James Murphy from Ireland. Toronto’s Dan McMullen drove hard to finish fifth.

Results of the race will hopefully be made official later today, Sunday January 26.

Round 2 will be held this afternoon, starting at 1 p.m.

The Winter Series is opened to Fran-Am and Formula Renault single seaters powered by two-litre engines. These race cars are powered by 185-horsepower, four-cylinder Renault engines, are fitted with front and rear wings and are shod on slick Michelin tires. The competitors are amongst the world’s best up and coming race car drivers who will soon be the next Formula 1 and CART Series’ drivers. The drivers compete for a cash prize fund of U.S. $100,000 and a free test drive in the new Formula Renault V6 car in Europe.

2003 Fran-Am 2000 and Formula Renault 2000 World Championship Winter Series schedule

Round 2 January 26 Sebring International Raceway, Florida

Round 3 February 15 Miami, Homestead Speedway, Florida

Round 4 February 16 Miami, Homestead Speedway, Florida

Round 5 February 22 St. Petersburg CART Grand Prix, Florida

For additional information about Fran-Am Sport, please visit the official web site at:

www.fran-am.com.

FRAN-AM WINTER SERIES STARTS THIS WEEKEND
11 American drivers set to compete

Montreal, Quebec (Canada), January 21, 2003 – The five-race, 2003 Fran-Am 2000 and Formula Renault 2000 World Championship Winter Series will kick off this coming weekend in Sebring, Florida. The races will be held on three road courses of Florida, namely Sebring, Miami Homestead and St. Petersburg. Thirty-seven drivers coming from 13 countries, including Great Britain, Italy, Argentina and Canada will compete for the series’ title, a cash prize fund of U.S. $100,000 and a free test drive in the new Formula Renault V6 car in Europe.

The Winter Series is opened to Fran-Am and Formula Renault single seaters powered by two-litre engines. These race cars are powered by 185-horsepower, four-cylinder Renault engines, are fitted with front and rear wings and are shod on slick Michelin tires. The competitors are amongst the world’s best up and coming race car drivers who will soon be the next Formula 1 and CART Series’ drivers.

The series begins January 25 in Sebring, will then travel to the Miami Homestead facility on February 15 and 16 and will conclude February 23 with a race just before the inaugural CART Grand Prix of St. Petersburg – the opening event of the 2003 CART Championship. The Sebring and Miami Homestead events are double headers, featuring one race on Saturday and one race on Sunday while the St. Petersburg event will showcase just one race.

“The World Championship Winter Series is designed to promote the talent of Fran-Am and Formula Renault competitors in front of large crowds and members of international medias,” said Thierry Burckhart, the President of Fran-Am Sport. “After a first season of activities last year, we figured the timing was right to launch a winter series that provides the competitors with the chance to compete in a highly competitive five-race series held during the off-season. Fran-Am is also delighted to distribute a very generous cash prize fund of U.S. $100,000 and to announce that the top three finishers in the Winter Series will be awarded a free test drive in the new, 360-horsepower Formula Renault V6 car in Europe.”

The 37 competitors will take the track in Sebring on Friday, January 24th for the first qualifying session. Some of the drivers to watch include two-time British Formula Renault Winter Series Champion Robert Bell from Great-Britain, 17-year old American Chris Festa, Canadian Dan McMullen who finished second in the Fran-Am Pro Championship last year, American Tim Barber, the reigning Fran-Am 1600 Champion and 18-year old Mexican Aurelio Lopez Martinez.

What is Fran-Am ?

Fran-Am Sport is the organisation that presents the North American version of the acclaimed two-litre Formula Renault – the grass root series that has served as training ground to the career of many international drivers at the top levels of motor sport. Fran-Am Sport has the mission to provide young drivers with the opportunity to climb the ladder from karting to the top levels of motor sport without having to leave North America. The Fran-Am 2000 is a very highly competitive series that offers the competitors a fantastic training ground to hone their driving skills.

Headed by Thierry Burckhart, Fran-Am Sport debuted its activities last year with great success as 28 drivers entered the North American Professional Championship. Fran-Am Sport is also responsible for the running and sanctioning of several Fran-Am 1600 regional series throughout North America, featuring wingless, 1600cc-powered cars. The Fran-Am 1600 regional series serve as bridges between karting and the Fran-Am 2000 Championship.

For additional information about Fran-Am Sport, please visit the official web site at:

www.fran-am.com.

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