Fortec Motorsport has signed British driver Sam Bird to contest the 2005 Formula BMW championship in the UK. 18-year-old Bird, winner of one of the 2004 BMW scholarships, finished runner-up in the Formula BMW rookie class.

Bird was pleased to begin his championship campaign with Fortec: “I’m really excited about this move. Last season the racing was very close and it will be hard work this year, but with a year of Formula BMW under my belt, I’m confident we’ll be in the hunt for the title. Fortec Motorsport has a proven track record of winning championships, and we’re determined to succeed.”

Fortec Motorsport was established in 1989 and is one of the most successful British racing teams, scoring championship wins in British Formula 3, Formula Renault UK and Formula 3000 and has helped a brace of drivers on their way to success, including current Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya and Le Mans 24 hour winner Guy Smith. Richard Dutton, Fortec team owner, was pleased to confirm the arrival of Bird, “we kept a watch on Sam throughout 2004, where he showed lots of ability, and we’ve been negotiating a deal for a while now. We believe he’ll be a championship contender with us and we’re delighted to have him aboard.”

The 2005 Formula BMW championship is organized by the BARC and comprises ten double-header race weekends, nine of which will be run alongside the flagship British motorsport series, the British Touring Car Championship with one ‘BMW Day’ held at Rockingham. The first round will take place on 9-10 April at Donington Park.