Two works Vauxhalls inked for 2003

Vauxhall had been widely tipped to continue with its programme, which has been dominant in the series since the formula change for the 2001 championship, but this is the first confirmation to come from Vauxhall Motorsport operations manager Mike Nicholson. Triple Eight Race Engineering will continue to run the cars.

"This is just the basic statement," said Nicholson. "There's more to follow. We hope to finalise our driver line-up over the coming weeks and announce it at the Motor Show at the NEC."

Both Vauxhall works drivers - James Thompson and Yvan Muller - come to the end of their current contracts at the end of the season and while Thompson is widely tipped to stay with Vauxhall, Muller is believed to have offers on the table to move to the ETCC.

"We've always been keen on loyalty and we don't like change, but we'll have to wait and see," said Nicholson, who confirmed that he is talking to his current drivers, but has also been in touch with others. "That's normal practice though," he said.

Triple Eight is known to want to run another pair of cars, as it has for the past two years with the backing of Egg, but there is no word yet on whether that deal, or a similar one, will be tied up for 2003.

Two new Astra Coupes will be built for the works team - though Nicholson says they will be evolutions of the current car rather than a new design. That means that in theory up to eight Astras could run in the 2003 championship.