Gelles Racing has signed Brandon Thomas of London, Ontario, to contest one of the Gelles Racing entries in the 2004 North American Formula Renault 2000 Championship. Thomas raced in the ultra-competitive British Formula Renault series last season, and is counting on using what he learned there to mount a competitive effort this season.Thomas had the opportunity to test with the Gelles Racing team at Homestead during the North American Formula Renault Winter Invitational, and was impressed with the Gelles organization as well as the level of competition he saw on the track. "I spent one day testing at Homestead while the Winter series was taking place,” said Thomas, “but that was enough to realize how professional the crew was at Gelles and how competitive that series will be this year. There were drivers coming from Renault series from all over the world and the gap between their times on the track were minimal. I felt very comfortable with the Gelles car. Engineer Lolo Perdomo and I worked together to set up the car and I was in the top ten within a few laps."Brandon was a late bloomer in motorsport, starting in karts in his late teens. After a complete season in the Rotax Max championship in England, he went on to British Formula Renault in 2003."Formula Renault in Europe was a tremendous learning curve for me,” said Thomas. “Motorsport in Europe is extremely competitive and I really learned a lot. With Formula Renault coming to North America, it's even better to race closer to home and I expect the series to also be very competitive. We are going to race three times in Canada, with more Canadian races possible, so this is a great opportunity for me.“Thomas, who has lived in America, Europe and Asia, impressed team owner Bob Gelles, who campaigned three entries in the Formula Renault Winter Invitational, including round two race-winner Gustavo Sondermann, who finished third in the championship standings. "We were very impressed with Brandon,” said Gelles. “We gave him our spare car and he reeled in quick times lap after lap. Our engineer thought that he communicated well, and was able to work towards a better set-up. We think he will mix well with the better drivers in this series."The turning point for Thomas as he decided to pursue a career in motorsport took place when he visited the BMW.Williams Formula One team with his father a few years ago. He was so impressed with (Sir) Frank Williams that he decided to follow in his footsteps and go as high as he could in the racing ladder."I have so much respect for Mister Williams,” said Thomas, “for what he has achieved that I really want to make a living out of racing No need to say my favorite driver is Juan Pablo Montoya: I talked with him for a long moment and he is a wonderful person."Brandon Thomas will join Gelles Racing for a few test days in mid-March before the season gets underway at the Phoenix International Raceway on April the 8th. The North American Formula Renault Championships are sanctioned by Grand American, and provide a ladder for drivers to develop their talent, with a full in-house open-wheel progression available. The Formula Renault V6 Championship is the top rung on the North American Formula Renault Championship ladder, which also includes the North American Formula Renault 1600 Championship and the North American Formula Renault 2000 Championship. The Formula Renault V6 is expected to make its North American competition debut in the latter stages of the North American Formula Renault 2000 season.North American 2004 Formula Renault 2000 Schedule (Tentative)DATE TRACK EVENTApril 8-10 Phoenix International Raceway Grand-AmMay 21-23 Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant Grand-AmJune 18-20 Watkins Glen International Grand-AmJuly 30-31 Trois Rivieres Trans-AmAugust 6-8 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Grand-AmSeptember 10-12 Homestead Miami Speedway Grand-AmSeptember 24-26 Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant Fall ClassicOctober 1-3 Virginia International Raceway Grand-AmOctober 8-10 Barber Motorsports Park Grand-AmOctober 29-31 California Speedway Grand-Am