Clarke expects to secure IndyCar seat

The Briton lost his drive when the Champ Car World Series merged with IndyCar on the eve of the 2008 season, and spent last year on the sidelines.

But he has returned to action with Team Great Britain at the Taupo A1GP races this weekend, and while he wouldn't rule out more A1GP appearances, he said his priority was getting an IndyCar seat.

"I'm still living in Indianapolis, and we're still gearing up for a season in IndyCar," Clarke told autosport.com.

"But if the opportunity arises to do more of these (A1GP) races then I will jump at them, of course. But after this race I will go back to Indianapolis and continue with the negotiations that we're having there with the teams in IndyCar."

He remains optimistic that he can find a drive despite many IndyCar teams struggling for funding amid the economic downturn.

"It's really wide open right now," said Clarke. "A lot of people are feeling the economy. And the sad side to that is that a lot of people are losing their jobs. Motor racing is a tough business for that, because it costs a lot of money and that's stressful, but at the end of the day there are other people that are losing their jobs. And that's not funny either.

"You've just got to keep working. We have some sponsors that we're working with, and we have negotiations with teams, so I am really confident that I will be in a race car this year."