BBC SPORT | Motorsport | British Cart team aim for US

An ambitious all-English Cart team are hoping to use next month's Rockingham event as a springboard to a full season in the US-based championship.

Team St George will make their debut when the Cart series returns to the Rockingham oval in Northamptonshire on 14 September.

And providing they can raise enough funds they will be lining up for the start of the 2003 Cart series next February.

We've been overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of sponsors and drivers alike

David Grace
Rockingham chief executive

"We are certainly hoping to race until May when Rockingham takes place next year," an insider said.

"If possible we would like to compete for a full championship.

"But it's too early to say yet. It depends on getting sponsorship together."

The organisers of the Rockingham event originally decided to set up a new team to raise awareness of what is now the only European leg of the Cart series.

Rockingham plans for British Cart team

But Rockingham chief executive David Grace said the interest in the team has persuaded them to raise their ambitions.

"We've been overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of sponsors and drivers alike," he said. "We've had a number of calls from some seriously impressive sponsors.

"Some of them have said that they can't put a deal together at this short notice, but they have a lot of enthusiasm for continuing this initiative into the 2003 season."

The team are still to decide who will be behind the wheel when they take their place on the grid next month.

Ex-Formula One drivers Mark Blundell - who raced in Cart from 1999-2000 - and Johnny Herbert and have both expressed their interest.

Mark Blundell has declared an interest in driving next season
Blundell has shown an interest in driving for the team

Darren Manning and Darren Turner, who both race in the British National Ascar championship, are also in the running.

The team considered holding a showdown test, with the fastest of the prospective drivers being selected, but insurance costs made that impossible.

The decision will now be made by senior management, but Herbert's experience and the bigger draw he would provide makes him the favourite.

"It would be very attractive to have someone like Johnny Herbert on board, he knows Rockingham as well as anyone," the insider added.

"Mark also has an interest and is very enthusiastic to be involved, but he also has a number of commitments."

Herbert would need permission to compete from Audi, who he drives for in the American Le Mans Series.

Competitive

Team St George have acquired the former Sigma Motorsport Lola-Cosworth, which finished in third place at this year's Cart race one the Milwaukee oval.

And Bob Berridge of Oval Racing Management, which is behind the team, believes it will enable them to be competitive at Rockingham.

He said: "We've got a car which we know can run at the front of Rockingham."

The car is being prepared by experienced Cart team owner Dale Coyne at his workshop in Chicago, before being flown over to begin testing at the end of August.


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