Front-running ELF/BTE Lawline Renault Clio Cup team Mardi Gras Motorsport has confirmed its entry in the 2004 championship with a two-car attack led by last season’s Vice-Champion Ed Pead (Beckenham, Kent).

Pead, who returns for his third season of Clio Cup action and his second with Silverstone-based Mardi Gras, will be joined at the crack team by 17-year old category newcomer Fulvio Mussi (Colchester, Essex) who makes the switch to saloons from single-seaters having contested last year’s Formula Renault UK Championship.

Paul Hetherington, team boss of Mardi Gras Motorsport, commented: “We’re delighted to announce Ed’s return to the championship and we’re confident we’ll be able to take the fight to Paul Rivett who will unquestionably be the man to beat this season.

“Fulvio contested the Formula Renault UK Championship last season and so the switch to Clio this year will be very much a learning curve for him. He’s shown good speed in testing and we’re certain he’ll prove to be a very capable addition to the Clio Cup. We are looking at the possibility of running a third car although this is yet to be determined.”

After a short but successful career in karting, Pead competed in Formula Ford before making his Clio Cup debut with Bintcliffe Sport Racing in 2002 where he ended the season sixth overall. A switch to Mardi Gras last season saw him take three wins en route to second in the standings.

Mussi meanwhile, a former karter himself, made his car racing debut in 2002 as part of the Formula Honda Championship before graduating to Formula Renault UK last season with Jensen Motorsport.

www.renaultsport.co.uk