MINI support for BTCC.

The MINI Challenge has been named as one of the support races for the Snetterton round of the 2008 HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship.

The announcement completes the calendar for the 2008 season, which will also see the championship running alongside the World Touring Car Championship, A1GP and the DTM in the first season with the new MINI John Cooper Works Challenge machine - which will be out on track at Silverstone next weekend for its first UK test.

"For the first year with the John Cooper Works car, the calendar we've secured is fantastic," championship co-ordinator, Paul Harvey said. "No other series gets competitors on the same bill as so many high profile championships, and we're getting more and more interest from drivers who want to progress into touring car racing.

"The Silverstone date will be an exciting time for us, and all of the drivers who have been calling me wanting to test the new car, It will be fantastic to get the John Cooper Works Challenge cars running in the UK and I'm sure the many drivers who attend will be very impressed with what they see."

The winner of the 2008 MINI Challenge will earn a test with the RBM team that has carried Andy Priaulx to the WTCC title for the past three seasons.