24 February 2004
Rick Pearson Joins Tracsport For Caterham R400 Challenge
Long-time Clio Cup
competitor, Rick Pearson has joined the Daventry-based Tracsport team
for the 2004 Powertrain Caterham R400 Challenge.
“I’ve admired the professionalism, presentation and achievements of Tracsport
for several years and am delighted to be joining them for their 2004 Caterham
campaign,” Pearson said. “The Caterham R400 Challenge is a great series
and seems to be going from strength-to-strength. The quality of racing
was excellent last season and I’m sure, will be just as exciting this
year.”
Pearson had his first
shake-down test last Friday and was immediately on the pace of new team-mate
and series front-runner, John Gaw. Pearson and Gaw will be joined in the
Tracsport squad by another former Clio racer, John Ingram.
“I’ve got a bit to learn about slip-streaming but I was glad to be quickly
up to speed,” Pearson commented after the test session. “I guess it’s
conclusive proof that if you can race a Clio V6 you can race anything!
“Tracsport have a great driver line-up and as the reigning Superlight champions, we’ll be going all out for a clean sweep in this year’s championship.”
The move to the Powertrain Caterham R400 Challenge marks a return to British shores for Pearson, who has spent the last three years racing in both the Clio V6 Trophy and the European Clio Cup. The Kent-based driver posted several top-ten finishes in Europe, including ninth place at the Monaco Grand Prix meeting in 2002 and seventh at Spa-Francorchamps in 2003.
Although Pearson has specialised in Clio competition since finishing fifth overall in the 2000 UK Clio Cup, he is no stranger to Caterham racing and actually began his career in the 1996 Caterham-K series.
The Powertrain Caterham R400 Challenge will play a key supporting role in the British F3 and British GT Championship calendar, featuring on six F3/GT dates in 2004, with double-header races at each meeting. A twin-race season finale will be held at Brands Hatch in October. A new race format has been introduced for 2004, with a sprint and feature race each weekend and full television coverage by Sky Sports.
The opening rounds will be held at Donington Park on 4 April.