Dutch Football Racers

[Roy2]

Dutch football clubs Feynoord Rotterdam and Vitesse Arnheim on Wednesday expressed interest in sponsoring racing cars in a motorsport competition which would run parallel to F1.

A spokesman for England's Premier I Racing company told reporters in Rotterdam that he signed deals with the two teams for the inaugural 2001 season. He said Ajax and PSV Eindhoven are in negotiations for sponsorship deals.

The project was designed by British football and racing fan Collin Sullivan and has the support of the FIA. It's expected to cost at least 100 million dollars to start up.

Cars in the colours and logos of the sponsoring clubs will race during football's off-seasons on Grand Prix circuits for 100 miles without pit stops. Drivers would be under contract with Premier 1 Racing but must be natives of the club's countries.

The organisers say they want to sign contracts with the four top clubs from Spain, Italy, Germany, France, England, and the Netherlands. Italy's Inter and AC Milan, Spain's Barcelona and Real Madrid, and England's Manchester United have all expressed their interest in participating.
Source: Bloomberg Business News.

The article doesn't say anything about the type of cars envisioned. Sounds pretty exciting, and as if it might get a lot of fan support, hopefully not of the hooligan kind.