Nordic signs Enge for 2001 assault.

The Nordic Racing F3000 team heads to Barcelona for the first of two official, two-day, FIA tests on the first and second of November, having already settled its 2001 line-up.

While the test - and those following between now and next season - will be used by many of the teams as a chance to evaluate drivers for the 2001 championship, for Nordic no such problem exists. Englishman Justin Wilson stays with the Norfolk-based outfit for a second season, and will be joined by Czech driver Tomas Enge, winner of the Hockenheim round of this year's championship.

Wilson will return to the team for his second season, after a promising second season in the category proved his skill and capability. Enge, from the Czech Republic, drove for the mySAP.com McLaren Junior team, winning at Hockenheim and causing Nordic to get extremely excited about its 2001 line-up.

A further boost for the team is the news that Coca-Cola has decided to increase its backing of the team, sponsoring both cars instead of one in 2001. The soft drinks brand joined Nordic for the final four rounds of the 2000 series, backing Wilson from the Hungaroring round in August. Such was the Englishman's performance - and that of the team this season - that the beverage giant decided to return for a full season of F3000, backing both Wilson and Enge.

"With the announcement by the FIA of the two extra dates on next year's calendar, our further involvement with the Coca-Cola brand, and the confirmation of our driver line-up for 2001, Nordic Racing is very much looking forward to the start of the 2001 championship in Brazil on 31 March," said team principal Derek Mower.

"Both Justin and Tomas are very capable drivers and I am sure that yet more podium finishes will be available to the team next season. This may well be our strongest driver line-up in years."

A second two-day test will be held on 7-8 November at Estoril in Portugal.