Mardi Gras to enter gas-powered car in 2004 BTCC.

Mardi Gras Motorsport will become the first team to race a gas-powered car in the British Touring Car Championship, having been given the go-ahead to enter an ETCC-spec Honda Civic Type-R in the 2004 campaign.

The LPG-powered car has undergone an engine conversion at specialist company Prins Autogassystemen BV's factory in Holland and will make its race debut in the BTCC's opening three rounds at Thruxton on 11 April.

"The BTCC is well aware of the need to embrace alternative energy sources for the future, and we are now probably the only touring car championship in the world that is open to petrol, diesel and gas-powered cars," BTCC series director Alan Gow said, "The Mardi Gras entry is certainly going to capture the imagination - and is extremely welcome on our grid. Going by the team's excellent run of success in various saloon racing categories, I'm sure it will do an extremely professional job with this new technology."

Uniquely, each time series debutant John George's car runs low on fuel, the Mardi Gras mechanics will install a new gas tank.

"This will avoid the hazard of parking a refill tank in the paddock," team chief Paul Hetherington explained, "We will transport half a dozen fresh tanks to each race and simply fit a new one whenever we need more fuel.

Mardi Gras is no stranger to the BTCC, as it ran as a privateer team in the mid-Nineties with a Honda Accord for Roger Moen and Vauxhall Vectra for Mark Lemmer. However, it is remaining coy over its chances of success.

"The car's performance is a complete unknown," Hetherington admitted, "but I think that makes us underdogs and will help to generate a lot of interest among the fans and the media."

Unlike the team, George is a BTCC rookie, having previously contested three seasons of Renault UK's Clio Cup - one of the BTCC's five supporting championships. He will also rack up an extraordinary amount of miles travelling to each BTCC race, as he lives in Cornwall and his 'home' circuit is Thruxton - three hours' drive from his home in Par. The Knockhill circuit in Scotland will be his furthest journey - a round trip of over 1000 miles.

"I'll probably fly for that one," grinned George, whose season will be sponsored by his own hugely successful mobile communications company, JAG, "After surviving three years of the Clio Cup, which at times can become extremely hectic, I'm confident of being able to handle myself in the cut and thrust of the BTCC."