Former British Touring Car champions, Vic Lee Racing, is planning to run an ASCAR for the second half of the 2002 ASCAR motor racing series. Managing director and team principal Vic Lee hopes to have one of the Days of Thunder-style, V8-powered stock cars ready for the end of July, in preparation for the August 5 round of the series at Rockingham's 1.5-mile banked oval.

"I've kept my eye on the series in the background," Lee said, "and I like what I see.

Lee has had discussions with Oval Racing Management chief executive, Bob Berridge, and is all set to introduce a Vic Lee Racing team in the championship. "Bob Berridge is a motor racing man," said Lee. "He has worked bloody hard this year, as have the people at Rockingham, and he has steered the ASCAR series in the right direction."

"We are in the motorsport business, it's our shop window and we're very pleased with what Berridge has achieved. I've looked closely at the car Darren Turner is racing with HTML and can see what a good package it is. "We have had a two year association with HTML, who won the British Touring Car Production class last year - they are a good young team - and I'll be working with them next week at Rockingham."

"VLR are working hard to get a deal together so we can run a car alongside HTML in the second half of the year. The plan will be to run one car for the remainder of this season with the intention of building a two-car team for next year."

Lee has been involved the motorsport industry for more than 30 years - and during that time has enjoyed great success on the international racing scene. He first entered the British Touring Car Championship as a privateer team in 1990, finishing third overall. The team claimed overall championship honours the following season with Will Hoy and repeated the feat in 1992 as the works BMW team with Tim Harvey in 1992.

More recently, after a successful spell running Peugeots in the National Saloon Car series, VLR was appointed the works team for Peugeot in last year's BTCC. The team secured three podium finishes and third overall in the Touring Teams' Championship and as Team Halfords are currently running a three-car team with former BTC champion Tim Harvey, Dan Eaves and Carl Breeze.

"If ASCAR keeps on pulling in the drivers of the quality of Jason Plato, Nicolas Minassian and Darren Turner and teams like Ray Mallock Ltd and Bintcliffe Sport then the series can only get better," Lee said. "We are in the racing business and ASCAR has a bright future. We want to be a part of that."