Wilson, who switched from Formula 1 to Champ Cars for 2004 and drove for the underfunded Conquest outfit, believes that the RuSport team which beat him to the Rookie of the year title with AJ Allmendinger is capable of challenging Newman/Haas Racing this season.

"Newman/Haas still has the edge, but it's our job to close that job as quickly as we can," he said. "Me and AJ are not expecting to run away with it, but neither do I think anyone else will either. I do think we are going to be in there now. I expect it to be tough though.

"RuSport has made great strides forward for this season, but that's not the job done, that is the beginning of our development plan. There's a lot we are working on in the off-season. Lots of technical adjustments that the team were working on towards the end of last season that they never got to use we are now going to try out.

"The team seems to have more engineers than mechanics! It's not as big as an F1 team but we have people to cover every area. But what the team has is a real family feel. Everybody pulls together and everybody relies on everybody else. There is an extremely good feel about the team."

Wilson also reckons that he is developing as a driver and signing for RuSport will allow him to fight at the front more consistently.

"There is definitely still more to come from me," he said. "I'm now in a position to develop the car and I can learn more and develop more as driver. But I have a year's experience now in Champ Cars and I have to say that I am ready to race at the front and win races and titles. I am ready and I am up to the challenge."