The recently renamed Forsythe/Pettit Racing team has begun its search for drivers for 2008 by offering Champ Car Atlantic rookie of the year Franck Perera a test outing at MSR Houston.

Running on Thursday and Friday [29-30 November], the Frenchman will aim to show that his stand-out form in the feeder series can translate to the top flight as the annual scramble for seats begins. Despite being new to both Atlantic and the American circuits, and having just two days of pre-season testing, Perera completed every lap of the season, racking up three wins, eight podiums, two poles and one fastest lap. Having set lap record pace on his first acquaintance with the FA car at Laguna Seca, he also set marks by becoming the first Atlantic driver in eleven years to finish every race in the top five and the first non-North American to win the Toronto Grand Prix in 17 years.

"With Toyota F1, I did a lot of shakedown and some official testing, and I am excited to work with Forsythe/Pettit for their testing this week," Perera said, "I will get time to know the car and present myself to the team and the series for a Champ Car drive next season."

Despite having experience of Formula One via his Toyota testing role, Perera made the decision to pursue a career in the US after two years of GP2 failed to provide the leg up to a seat in the grand prix series. The switch, however, appears to be paying off after his impressive debut campaign.

"Since the Atlantic season ended, Franck has been approached by teams in several series about next season, including the IRL and GP2," Charles Barrett, of the Frenchman's management team, revealed, "However, Franck hasn't hidden the fact all season that he would prefer a Champ Car ride. In fact, he came close to driving in Australia and Mexico for Conquest Racing, but the schedule just didn't allow any time to do proper testing before the races."

Forsythe/Pettit Racing only came together in the last week, following Dan Pettit's decision to merge the remains of his RuSPORT operations with that of veteran team owner Gerry Forsythe. Paul Tracy is expected to stay with the team next season, but the identity of his team-mate - or team-mates, for there have been rumours of three cars from Forsythe in 2008 - are far from clear.

"We are happy to give Franck the opportunity to drive the Champ Car," VP Neil Micklewright commented, "It gives us a chance to evaluate him and, at the same time, help the team with some testing items."