Lola, Dome join forces for F3 project.

UK-based Lola Cars International and leading Japanese race car manufacturer Dome have announced a joint venture to design and build Formula Three single seaters for the European and Asia Pacific markets.

In an historic agreement, the two companies - which successfully compete head-to-head within many international race series - have finalised plans to enter into F3 for the 2003 season, with the aim of competing in the category in the UK, Germany, France and Japan.

Design work for the Lola-Dome 2003 F3 car will principally be undertaken at Dome Co Ltd headquarters in Japan, in collaboration with a visiting team of on-site Lola engineers, as well as items of detail design being carried out at Lola's Huntingdon base in the UK. In addition, Dome Co Ltd's modern 50 per cent scale windtunnel facility will be used for aerodynamic development of the all-new car. Carbon composite chassis production and mechanical elements manufacturing will be divided between the build facilities of the two companies.

Sales of the new chassis will be undertaken directly by the two companies, with Dome Co Ltd the principal seller within the Asia Pacific Region and Lola the principal seller for the European territories and track support provided on both continents.

"The combination of two prominent racecar manufacturers with such a wealth of expertise in this field is set to shake up the F3 category," said Rick Gorne, the senior consultant to Lola Cars who has been instrumental in establishing the joint venture, "The Lola-Dome car will be greeted with strong interest from many leading teams and we're confident that it will have a major impact on the grids for 2003."

Lola, with a 45-year history of producing winning racing cars, is well placed to take on this new joint venture. The company has an enviable record of success with single seaters produced for the prestigious US-based Champcar Series and international and national F3000 series, as well as many winning years with sportscars. In 2001, the company's cars won three Sports Car Championships - the FIA SR2 class, American Le Mans Series' 675 class and Grand-Am SR2 class.

"This move into Formula Three racecar production with Dome is a significant one, not only for our company, but also for the industry," said David Bowes, Lola's managing director, explaining the decision to build the new car, "Sharing our capabilities and facilities will optimise performance, costs and service to benefit our customers and the F3 category. I look forward to seeing the first car out on track in early November."

Based in Yase, Kyoto, Dome was formed in 1975 and quickly became one of the leading Japanese sportscar teams, regularly participating at Le Mans and in domestic race series including the All Japan F3000 Championship. While competing in this series, the company started development of its own F3000 chassis and soon started racing in the F3000 championships with its own car.

In 1994, the car won the championship and, in 1998, Dome was contracted by Honda to develop a formula car for an oval course and a small-sized formula car for both a racing school and Hondas' one-make championship series. This small formula car became the first mass production racing car for Dome, opening the door into yet another new area of business. With a new 50 per cent scale windtunnel model, carbon composite development and manufacture facilities, Dome is now well established as a racing constructor in the Asia Pacific basin.

"We are delighted and privileged to be joining with Lola Cars in this unique agreement," commented Dome Cars' UK managing director Tadashi Sasaki, "We have enormous respect for the company and its achievements over the past five decades. Dome has unrivalled expertise within the Asia Pacific F3 marketplace which, added to Lola's vast experience, will create a powerful force, not only in our home territory, but also on a global level. I am looking forward to F3 2003."

The joint venture agreement will be for an initial two-year period, until the end of the current F3 technical regulations, with an option for a further three years.