ASCAR: VIP Club, Bowman Motorsport sign for 2001

VIP Club and Bowman Motorsport in conjunction with former British touring car star Jerry Mahony, are to enter a two-car team in the forthcoming Anglo American Stock Car Racing Championship (ASCAR) next year, in addition to their existing commitments with the BTCC.

"Vic Lee and Bowman Motorsport have considerable skill and a proven track record in running racing cars to a high standard and this will be a real asset to the team," states Mahony.

Already confirmed in the team is experienced sports car driver Neil Cunningham who will pilot one of the two, six litre, V8-powered Pontiac Grand Prix silhouettes.

"Neil has spent a considerable amount of time racing in the US and specifically on oval tracks, so he was a natural choice for the series," states Mahony. "The second driver will be selected and named early next year."

"We placed deposits for the two cars as long ago as January 2000," explains Mahony. "Now that the series has a strong infrastructure, with excellent backing, the association with Peter Davies, plus the increasing levels of expertise and professionalism in attracting high calibre entries, it is now right for us to announce our association with ASCAR."

Mahony is set to bring top levels of professionalism to other areas of the ASCAR series through his VIP Club; the top hospitality service to the BTCC, which is to be contracted to ASCAR.

Former Thundersaloon Champion Mahony, is set to don his race overalls next month after a nine year absence from competitive racing. He will drive one of the team's ASCAR racers in South Africa as part of a promotional event that will see around a dozen ASCAR stock cars freighted to the all-new Phakisa oval track in Welkom.

To date, ASCAR Managing Director Mike Schmidt has sold 32 cars and with strong overseas interest in the series, 40-plus car grids are promised for the season's opener at the impressive new Euro Speedway, Lausitz in Germany on May 12/13.

www.ascarracing.com