In brief, April 2009

Britain’s Tom Boardman will race full-time in the World Touring Car Championship with the Spanish SUNRED SEAT team in 2009. The 25-year-old, who raced in the BTCC’s production class in 2001-03, is moving up to the world series after winning the Spanish SEAT Leon Supercopa series.

Six-time Grand Prix winner Ralf Schumacher has been promoted within the Mercedes DTM squad. The 33-year-old, who moved into the German touring car series last year, will drive a 2009-spec C-Class for the HWA team.

The Masters of Formula 3 all-comers race returns to its spiritual home at Zandvoort after two years at Zolder. The event, whose former winners include David Coulthard and Lewis Hamilton, will run on June 13/14.

A total of 82 entries have been lodged for the Le Mans 24 Hours. That figure is six fewer than were received for last year’s race and six more than the 2007 figure.

Team Goh is aiming to return to Le Mans with Porsche, five years after winning the 24hr race with Audi. Long-time Japanese entrant Kazumichi Goh has purchased the Van Merksteijn Porsche RS Spyder for its comeback, which will include at least one round of the Le Mans Series.

Reigning GP2 champion team Racing Engineering will run F3 Euro Series graduate Dani Clos this season. The British iSport squad, runner-up with Bruno Senna last year, has signed Diego Nunes and Giedo van der Garde after Senna opted not to continue in GP2 in order to chase a Formula 1 drive.

Mitsubishi has withdrawn from the Dakar rally, and is restructuring its UK motor sport campaigns. The British rally team has been withdrawn from the 2009 series due to the current climate, though the Evolution challenge continues.

Grand Prix Racewear’s future has been secured following the acquisition of its assets by Martin Hines. The motor sport clothing and equipment firm has announced a new management structure and will continue to run from its Silverstone premises.