Brand new entrant Russell Racing has confirmed it plans to contest the 2006 Formula Renault UK Championship after finalising the buyout of Team JLR’s Formula Renault assets, which were put up for sale at the conclusion of the 2005 season.Russell Racing, which is owned by the North London-based family of Formula Renault BARC Vice-Champion Matt Russell, is set to make its competitive debut next year and plans to be on the Formula Renault UK grid with all four of its cars in 2006.Day-to-day operations at the team’s workshop facility in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, will be conducted by newly appointed team manager Rob Croot, the former chief engineer of fellow Formula Renault UK outfit Mark Burdett Motorsport.Croot brings a wealth of single-seater experience to the team and the partnership will renew links forged with the Russell family when Matt began his Formula Renault career in 2004 as a Mark Burdett driver.The purchase of the ex-Team JLR operation, which carried Stephen Simpson and Tom Kimber-Smith to podium finishes during 2005, is fantastic news for the series as a whole with Russell Racing now planning to run all four of its newly acquired FR 2.0 cars in the 2006 Formula Renault UK Championship.Team owner and director Tim Russell commented: “We’re absolutely delighted to have finalised the buyout of Team JLR’s Formula Renault assets and we’re keen to continue in the best traditions of Richard Dean’s operation.“Our core is family-orientated but we have brought in some experienced and trusted staff, such as team manager Rob Croot, to help ensure we’re able to hit the ground running in the 2006 Formula Renault UK Championship. It’s a very exciting time for us and we’re relishing the challenge of competing in the series next year.”