Russian Bears opt for Lada.

Russian Bears Motorsport will compete in the FIA World Touring Car Championship in 2008.

The Russian outfit will run two Lada 110 2.0 cars from the third race meeting of the season that will take place in Valencia on May 18. The procedure to homologate the car is currently underway.

The team, who took part in last year's FIA WTCC events at Zandvoort and Valencia with three BMW 320i cars, have already named their drivers - namely 43-year old Russian Viktor Shapovalov, who drove for Lada in the Russian Touring Car Championship, and 31-year old Jaap van Lagen, champion of the 2006 Eurocup Renault M?gane Trophy.

"We are an independent team however we have received from Lada the bodyshells with the roll-cages, some necessary spare parts and technical support," team manager Maxim Maksimenko explained. "Furthermore Lada technicians are supporting us with the documents needed for the homologation."

During the season the team will be based in their Dutch workshop at Franeker and are expected to make their maiden appearance at the WTCC official test session in Valencia, on April 15-16.