AUTOCAR, Britain's top motoring weekly magazine, is sponsoring the works Ford Mondeos in the British Touring Car Championship, UK's premier motor racing series, which is coming to Oulton Park on May 25.

The two all-new West Surrey Racing run Ford Mondeos will be driven by twice Touring Car World Cup holder Paul Radisich, and former BTCC champion Will Hoy. The 24-round series begins at Donington Park on Easter Monday, March 31, and will be televised by BBC TV to include six live rounds.

"It is absolutely right that the UK's top motoring magazine is involved in the country's premier racing series, especially as we rate the Mondeo in road form very highly," commented editor-in-chief Steve Cropley.

"Even better, though, is the spin-off for our readers - we're offering a prize drive in a Mondeo race car to experience the thrill of the BTCC at first hand."

The six lucky finalists of the competition, to be run in Autocar's March 26 issue, will go through to meet touring car aces Radisich and Hoy at Ford's Boreham test facility. They will be driven in the Mondeo, see how the team operates and then be given a skill and aptitude test. The judges will then decide who takes the prize drive.

"We'll be supporting our sponsorship with in-depth coverage of the series, as well as following how our six finalists get on," concluded Cropley. "We're very excited about the prospect."

The racing season at Oulton Park in Cheshire opens with Good Friday British E3000 on March 28.

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