Organisers of the two championships are planning to have a total of 20 rounds for each and the Clio Cup will also benefit from a range of measures designed to reduce costs for teams and also increase the prize fund to a substantial £75,000 - a 50 per cent increase on the current season.

It has also been announced test days will be closer to race meetings in 2004 and, for the Clio Cup teams, sessions will generally be held for two hours during the afternoon. This means costs should be dramatically reduced in a move designed to attract competitors to this highly respected championship.

The Renault UK Motorsport season itself will start with the TOCA Tour at the ultra-fast Thruxton Circuit in Hampshire on 10/11th April before heading to Brands Hatch in Kent, the world-famous Silverstone circuit and Oulton Park in Cheshire during the month of May.

Formula Renault and Clio Cup teams won't travel to Mondello Park in Ireland when the BTCC hosts its annual event there on 12/13th June but will rejoin the TOCA Tour when it returns to the UK at the end of June. A specific date and circuit is still yet to be determined although at this stage both Rockingham in Northamptonshire and Knockhill in Scotland are in the frame.

Croft in North Yorkshire will stage the 24/25th July event before everyone heads back to Brands Hatch in August and then on to Snetterton, Norfolk, on 4/5th September. The season will then come to a close at Donington Park in Leicestershire on 25/26th September.

Renault UK Motorsport organisers have also promised that a 10th, as yet unconfirmed, event will fill the gap in the calendar when the BTCC travels to Ireland in mid-June. Clio Cup teams have backed the new measures designed to improve the championship and are confident that 2004 will see a very healthy number of cars on the grid.

Lee Brookes, team boss of Wednesbury-based Total Control Racing, commented: "These announcements sound good and I think the shortening of the amount of time we need to be at the circuits will be a big benefit. As we're based pretty central to all the tracks it'll allow us to set up during the morning of the actual test day rather than having to go up the day before to set-up and then wait around for the test to start. It pretty much cuts a full day off for us which is great news."

Mardi Gras Motorsport's Paul Hetherington said: "I'm delighted that Renault UK has confirmed the 2004 calendar and it'll be interesting to see what the additional 10th date of the season will be. As far as the testing changes go it's good news. I've always felt the Clio Cup teams get more than enough testing anyway so to me two hours during an afternoon will be plenty.

"I'm also very happy to hear the prize fund is being boosted. This is something that both drivers and teams have identified as a concern so it's good to see the organisers making these kind of moves and taking steps in the right direction to ensure the Clio Cup is strong next year."

Boulevard Team Racing boss Cliff Johnson, meanwhile, is sure that the boosted prize fund and reduction in costs for teams will only further enhance the Clio Cup as the UK's premier one-make saloon car championship.

He commented: "I think the package of measures announced by Renault UK Motorsport is good and it's great news for everyone at Boulevard Team Racing. The increased prize fund is absolutely brilliant and we'll be able to reduce our costs as far as time spent at the track is concerned with the changes to testing for next season.

"I think that the alterations to the testing will be much better for the drivers in that they'll be there for the duration rather than going to the circuit for testing and then having to take a day away from the track before the actual race meeting itself. All in all it's good news and I'm really looking forward to next year."