Alex Lloyd eyes switch to Champ Car Atlantics, Champ Car

Alex Lloyd, the 20 year old BRDC McLaren Autosport Young Driver of the Year Award winner, has been offered a two-day test in America in a leftover Toyota Atlantic Car with top team Jensen Motorsport on the 19th and 20th of December.

"I am very much looking forward to doing these tests with Jensen Motorsport. I am keen to make a move to America and continue my career in the USA, where I have friends and family. I have raced and won in Fran-Am in Florida, in Formula 3000 in Europe and I have tested a McLaren F1 car, and I believe Toyota Atlantic – to be renamed ChampCar Atlantic in 2006 – is where I can best showcase my skills, with the intention of winning and moving on to Champ Cars or IRL", said Alex.

Alex started his career in karts at the age of nine, and progressed into cars at the age of 15 with a year in Formula Ford and then UK Formula Renault for 2 years, finishing as Vice-Champion.

Following this, in December 2003, Alex was short listed down to one of only six drivers to take part in a shoot-out to win one of the most prestigious awards available in the motorsport world, the BRDC McLaren Autosport Young Driver of the Year Award. Alex duly won the Award, and was heralded as ‘Britain’s Next F1 Hope’.

Since then, Alex has struggled to find a budget, but last year competed in selected rounds of the Euro F3000 Championship, entering the last 7 rounds only. He had 3 pole positions and 1 win despite suffering from a number of mechanical failures. His immediate success in this championship impressed many and led to him being chosen, following another shoot-out, to be part of the British A1GP team.

With Alex eyeing a career move to the USA, these two days of testing will be invaluable and a great chance to work with Jensen Motorsport.

"We are very much looking forward to this test", says Jensen MotorSport team owner Eric Jensen. "Alex has a terrific racing resume, which ranks him among the most promising young driving talents looking to enter the 2006 ChampCar Atlantic grid. Alex should learn a great deal about driving the Atlantic car by working for 2 days with our race engineer Adam Marchitto, and we hope that a successful test will be followed shortly thereafter with news that Alex will join Jensen MotorSport full-time for the 2006 season."