MG Rover to race in the DTM
British manufacturer MG Rover is set to race in next year's DTM touring car series, Autosport can reveal
Series organiser ITR confirmed earlier this week that a fourth manufacturer will join Mercedes, Audi and Opel in competing in 2005, and the move could help to secure the long-term future of the series which faces the loss of GM after next year.
"There will be a fourth manufacturer in 2005," said series boss Hans Werner Aufrecht, " but we will leave it to them to reveal themselves."
Autosport sources have confirmed that MG Rover has commissioned British race preparation specialists Zytek Engineering to design a DTM-spec silhouette based around the company's 75-based ZT260 model.
The car is thought likely to have been designed by former Formula 1 man Tim Holloway and the first example is expected to test well in advance of the first race, which takes place next April.
Although the project will be labelled a factory programme, the funding to design and build the car is coming directly from ITR. Four of the ZT260s are expected to be on the DTM grid and it is not yet clear whether MG will have any say in the selection of drivers for the cars.
DTM regulars Peter Dumbreck, Timo Scheider and Jeroen Bleekemolen have all been left on the sidelines following Opel's decision to cut back its squad to four cars, and all must be considered potential options. But MG's BTCC star Anthony Reid could be a good outside bet and is currently the only driver with an on-going relationship with Rover.
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