Sospiri and Sears reunite in Euronova venture.

The launch of the new Euronova Racing operation brings together the winning combination of Vincenzo Sospiri and David Sears, which took the latter's team to its first FIA F3000 title in 1995.

Wasted talent Sospiri - who was on the roster of the failed Lola F1 entry - has decided to enter the new team in the junior F3000 category as a natural progression to the test driving and technical consultancy roles he carried out during 2001. To help him in his new role as team manager, the Italian has turned to Sears, an old friend and a proven leader.

"I have a long relationship with David Sears and the guys who work at Super Nova Racing," Sospiri said, "It's a fantastic organisation and a lot of the key components are still there from when I drove in ?95 - the year we won the FIA F3000 Championship. During my visit to the team last week, I realised the key personnel are excited about the new collaboration."

Sears will provide the Euronova team with technical assistance, which will inevitably put the team ahead of competition, but will leave the running of the operation to Sospiri, while he focuses on running his own outfit in the FIA series.

"I have known Vincenzo since his first days in a racing car, and together we have raced and had many victories," he said, "These successes are all important achievements - in 1990, Vincenzo competed in the GM-Opel Lotus series and we achieved the first championship victory of our careers, as a team manager in my case and as a driver in his. Also, in 1995, we succeeded in conquering the first F3000 championship in the history of Super Nova Racing."

The successful years together produced two championship titles and the runner-up spot in another. The Sears/Sospiri relationship has produced a total of ten race wins, nine fastest laps and eight pole positions.

"When Vince launched himself into a team manager role, it became natural to support him in this new venture," Sears said, "Seeing him working with his usual seriousness, dedication and will to win, I realised that, based on our past relationship, this new challenge is too much of an opportunity to miss.

"Furthermore, I'm expecting an important payback - the chance to find new talents and take them to the highest level of motor racing."

Euronova Racing will run the Lola T99/50s used by Super Nova Racing up to the introduction of new cars to the FIA series this year. It will also gain top level technical support given from race-winning engineers.

"In a one make series, the experience in optimising the chassis dynamics is a decisive factor," Sospiri pointed out "It is at least as decisive as understanding and refining the drivers to make them winners. I'm sure the team is being born with the right qualities and has all the features to win".

The ten-race Euro 3000 series takes in some of the most scenic tracks on the continent as it attempts to springboard drivers into higher categories, as it has done in recent years for the past two champions, Felipe Massa and Ricardo Sperafico.

The 2002 calendar is as follows:

April 21 Vallelunga
May 5 N?rburgring
May 19 Enna-Pergusa
June 30 Monza
July 28 Spa-Francorchamps
August 11 Donington Park
September 8 Brno
September 22 Dijon-Prenois
October 6 Cagliari
October 13 Jerez de la Frontera