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Loris Capirossi, who usually races on two wheels in MotoGP, will give it a go on four wheels, though he'll be remaining loyal to the Suzuki brand in the process. The race will take place on November 8 in Aldershot, U.K. as part of the Suzuki Swift Sport Cup rally racing series that we told you about last April. The Italian motorcycle racer has driven in rally events in the past, but his low experience level against the talented crew of professional rally drivers will make the successful MotoGP racer a major underdog. As an added bonus, Capirossi will race against his motorcycling boss, Paul Denning, who is also racing as a guest at the Tempest Rally. That should be fun.

It isn't that uncommon for racers from one sport to take part in another. Recent examples such as Travis Pastrana and Michael Schumacher prove that success in one discipline can in fact equal a measure of success in another. For his part, Loris says he'll do his best to be competitive. We wish Capirossi the best, but we expect him to be back on his factory Suzuki GSV-R mount in short order.

[Source: Motorcycle.com]

In the United States, Suzuki is more known for its superlative motorcycles than mainstream automobiles. It is a notion that has even been played upon by the manufacturer's marketing department in recent commercials. In other parts of the world though, particularly in places where small cars garner more of a following, the small Japanese compacts are popular enough to get their own race series. The inaugural Suzuki Swift Sport Cup kicked off in New Zealand back last November and culminated last month. Next up on the calendar, the United Kingdom gets a taste of the 1.6L 123-hp hatch in its own Swift Cup. The kiwi version utilized tarmac tracks, but the UK cars are optimized for dirt. This weekend will see seven identical Monster Sport Europe-built vehicles battling it out on part of the Pirelli International Rally course, the first of six rounds for the cup.

The low operation costs of the series and the accompanying television deal makes for an attractive package for participants, not to mention the high point prize. The overall championship winner also gets a fully funded ride in the 2008 Wales Rally GB WRC race. The vehicle entry will be a Suzuki Swift Super 1600, of course.

[Source: AutoMotoPortal.com]