A new all-Brazilian team is to join the FIA GT Championship from the next round of the season at Spa at the end of the July.

After discussions with series promoters SRO, DKR Engineering has entered into a partnership that will see it running under the Sangari Team Brazil banner, with former F1 driver Enrique Bernoldi and Roberto Streit sharing driving duties in a Corvette C6.R.

“We are delighted to welcome Sangari Team Brazil to the FIA GT Championship,” SRO chief Stephane Ratel said. “Attracting drivers from overseas is one of our prime objectives, in order to build up interest for GT racing in their countries.

“We hope that having a Brazilian car in the FIA GT Championship in 2009 will prove to be a first step towards having a round of the future FIA GT1 World Championship in Brazil in 2010 or 2011.”

Bernoldi, who has most recently been running in the USA in the IndyCar Series said he was pleased with the deal.

“I am delighted with this great opportunity,” he said, “and I think Roberto and I will form a strong lineup straight away. I am very motivated to work hard, and I know the team and Streit are also fired up.

“As a racing driver, I am looking forward to driving the Corvette as soon as possible. You know, the car has always a special position in the whole package. You want to know how it handles, what you can do to help the team. I am really looking forward to it.”