A team of budding engineers from Oxford Brookes University proudly show off the prototype ISIS03B at Silverstone which they hope will drive them to success in America.

They also received an international travel grant from The Royal Academy of Engineering which will finance the cost of taking part in next month's highly-prestigious Formula SAE competition in Detroit.

The Brookes team, who have been preparing for the event for six months, will battle it out with 140 other teams from all over the world to design and build the best single-seater racing car.

It is the first time a team from Brookes has entered the challenge.

The ISIS03B is powered by a Triumph Daytona 600cc engine, and carries data equipment enabling the engineers to get the maximum performance from the car.

The team, which is made up of engineers from the university's School of Technology, will have to put the car through a series of tests.

They include design, presentation, and cost, acceleration, sprint, endurance and fuel economy.

Ian Bowbrick, manager and professional development at the Royal Academy of Engineering said: The team's superb work in a fascinating area of technology demonstrates great innovation. We wish them every success in Detroit."

Oxford Brookes technology student Adam Sharpe will drive a works Morgan Aero 8 at the 2004 Le Mans 24-hour race in June after the Morgan Works Race Team secured its place.

Still buzzing from his finish at the Sebring 12 Hours ALMS event in the Morgan, Sharpe said: "I am delighted. Now we must work hard now to prepare for the preliminary tests at Le Mans at the end of April.

"The race at Sebring has given me an insight into endurance racing and I am physically pre- pared."

Sharpe added: "We have a good platform on which to build. I have no doubt that we can develop the Morgan Aero 8 GT into a car capable of competing against the best."