(31/08/04) There was lots of good news for Team Ecosse this week, starting with the announcement that the team has picked up a driver and sponsors for the No.11 Ford Taurus running in the Alienware Series. After starting twice in the car and picking up a seventh place finish at Michigan International Speedway, Marius Jacobsz arrived at Bristol Motor Speedway for the N2003 Replay Analyser safe in the knowledge that he now had a full-time drive to the end of the 2004 season. "It was a no-brainer," commented Team Owner Michael Hogg prior to the race. "Marius ran really well on his debut at IRP and was unlucky to lose the engine, but he carried his form forward to Michigan and took a great top-ten finish there. Putting such an obvious up and coming talent in the car made finding sponsors so much easier." Sure enough, title sponsorship for the car has gone to RacingMetal.com who will adorn the hood and rear quarter-panels of the car for the remainder of the season. On the rear of the car will be the name of RacingUnderdog.com who will also stay on the car all year.

Jacobsz did not disappoint the new sponsors and was in inspired form during the Bristol race, taking an incredible sixth position at the checkers, going one better than the previous week at Michigan. Even better, despite the track and a large amount of caution periods, he brought the car home with no damage! Right behind him in seventh came Hogg in his regular No.21 B-Fast Motorsports Ford Taurus to complete a happy day for everyone involved in the team.

Both the Alienware Series and BallRacing Cup teams will pack up and head west to the California Speedway this week for an exciting weekend of racing. First of all, Jacobsz will be in action in the Alienware Series RacingUnderdog.com 250, proudly showing joint-title sponsorship from both RacingMetal.com and RacingUnderdog.com. The latter is stepping up its involvement in the team given its title sponsorship of the ESCORS events at Fontana during the weekend. The team hope that after a solid start to his ESCORS career, the South African can go one better than his two in a row top ten finishes and break into the top five. Hogg and co-Team Owner Catriona Rochford will also be in action in their No.21 B-Fast Motorsports and No.74 CI Racing entries.

Meanwhile, the No.01 team will return to the track to continue their part-time BallRacing Cup campaign in the RacingUnderdog.com 300, with Hogg at the wheel. As with the Alienware Series team, they will sport the RacingUnderdog.com logo on the rear quarter-panels of the Ford Taurus in a tie-in with the race sponsor. "I have to say thanks to Dave Laurence at RacingUnderdog.com for the help his company is providing Team Ecosse with this weekend, in both the BallRacing Cup and Alienware Series races," commented Hogg about the deal. "I just hope that we can put on a good show and get both cars to do well in the races. Marius will no doubt do a great job in the Alienware Series race - he's come on really well in a short space of time and he's told me he is very enthusiastic about this weekend's race.

"As for the BallRacing Cup race, we're going at this race in full-attack mode. The first hurdle is to qualify, as chances are this race will attract quite a large entry and we are quite well down in the provisional listing given that we are a part-time team, but I'm hopeful that we have a shot at making it in on speed as I really enjoy this track. My best finish of the year in both the Alienware Series and West Series have come at this very track so I'm really excited to be back here and running in both races. Our team fits the "Racing Underdog" tag very well so we hope to do our new associate proud on Saturday!"

The ESCORS BallRacing Cup RacingUnderdog.com 300 at California Speedway will be broadcast live on the Sim Racing Network.