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26^th May 2004 (Source: MD-UK )

The Motorsport Development Board has enlisted the support of three race teams that are leading the way in the application of alternative fuels, in a series of measures to drive home UK’s leadership in energy efficient technology.

Team Nasamax in Sittingbourne, Kent (bio-ethanol), Taurus Sports in Watton, Norfolk (diesel) and Mardi Gras Motorsport at Silverstone (liquid petroleum gas) will provide technical data and marketing collateral for a £140,000 programme to promote the viability of alternative fuels in mainstream motorsport.

As part of this programme, the Board will support work on a new approach to engine regulations that will allow greater differentiation and simplify the measurement of equivalence between different fuels & engine configurations. It has called for collaboration with motorsport’s governing bodies to establish appropriate record-breaking targets to encourage development of technology.

Board member George Lendrum said "these measures will engage legislators in a key area of technological development for motorsport and will inspire further growth in the UK".

In other developments following its recent meeting, the Board sanctioned collaboration with the Automotive Academy to identify and map existing motorsport skills courses and endorsed the development of a Motorsport Training and Technology Centre at Buckmore Park Kart Circuit in Kent.

Ends

Notes for Editors

1. The creation of a programme that accelerates and promotes the development of energy efficient vehicles was one of the recommendations to emerge from the D.T.I. Motorsport Competitiveness Panel in July 2003.

2. The Diesel and Bio-fuel teams are entered in Le Mans and are the first entries of this fuel type in endurance racing, taking advantage of recent rule changes to encourage alternative fuels. The LPG entry in the British Touring Cars Championship is also geared to encouraging wider application of alternative fuels in this extremely popular UK race series.

3. The Motorsport Development Board provides industry and sporting leadership and direction on a five years programme to sustain and develop the UK motorsport cluster, based on the recommendations of the Competitiveness Panel.

4. The members of the Motorsport Development Board are:

Paul Barron	Alstom (chair)
Mike Baunton	Perkins Engines (joint deputy chair)
Roger Putnam	Ford UK (joint deputy chair)
Chris Aylett	Motorsport Industry Association
Robert Fearnall	Association of Motor Racing Circuit Owners
Alan Gow	Motorsport Strategy Development Group
John Grant	Motor Sports Association
Alex Hooton	British Racing Drivers Club
George Lendrum	Pi Research
Professor Garel Rhys	Cardiff Business School
David Richards	Prodrive

5. The Government Motorsport Unit leads the government’s sector sponsorship of motorsport.

Media contact: Rachael Dewis, Northamptonshire Chamber. Tel:

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