Eurointernational Return to Champ

Team boss Antonio Ferrari's last run in the sport before switching to IRL and F3000 was in the mid-nineties, when the team was called Euromotorsport, however he will run what he hopes will become a two-car squad in Champ Car next year.

The move is expected to be confirmed at this weekend's Denver race and Ferrari has pledged he will remain in the sport until at least 2009. That is the final year of guaranteed stability on technical regulations that are scheduled to be introduced in 2007.

"I feel my team is now ready to be competitive in Champ Car," Ferrari said. "I feel it is an opportunity. I was planning to do Pan American Formula Renault V6 and I had sponsorship for that and drivers. But that failed.

"Then we worked on a programme to have Renault V6 replace Formula Atlantic from 2006 but that failed. Then I could either lose the sponsorship or save the sponsorship by offering something else - and that is Champ Car."

Ferrari currently has a link with American motorsport, by running a Formula BMW USA team. He also runs Formula Renault and World Series by Renault squads. These will be maintained with the Champ Car operation.

The Champ Car team is likely to start testing next month, possibly with Italian Enrico Toccacelo as the team's driver.

"My first choice is Enrico if he is available," Ferrari confirmed. "Not only because he is from Rome but because he is a great talent and he has a potential sponsor that can help him. If it is not him it will be other European drivers without Champ Car experience.

"Personally think without oval racing is basically a European style of racing. If you have experience of driving with a ground-effect car then there is no magic to Champ Car driving.

"If a guy like Andrew Ranger who was racing against me two years ago in Renault is able to qualify on the second row of the grid in Champ Car I think I know enough drivers that can be good at that level."