Mike Borkowski will run a full season in the SCCA Trans-Am Championship in 1997 with assistance from a new partnership between the Textron Automotive Company and PPG Cup competitors Team Rahal.

Borkowski will drive a Textron Automotive Ford Mustang Cobra prepared by Tom Gloy Racing in all rounds of the 1997 SCCA Trans-Am Championship.

The 23-year-old driver is a Cornell University graduate and a former champion of both the SCCA’s Pro Formula 2000 and Pro Sports 2000 series. He ran a limited schedule of six Indy Lights races in 1995 and led the GTS-1 class in last year’s IMSA 24 Hours of Daytona in a Brix Racing Oldsmobile. Borkowski, who began racing in quarter midgets at the age of eight, is also a former Valvoline Team USA Scholarship winner and a regional SCCA champion.

The sponsorship is the inaugural effort in a unique three-year partnership between Textron Automotive and Team Rahal that includes the involvement and support of Ford Motor Company. Through the program, the partners will identify and provide competitive opportunities for young American drivers in one of the nation’s top racing series.

"When Bobby Rahal approached us with this idea he hit upon a number of goals we have in common," said Textron Automotive President John Janitz. "Fostering the careers of young, talented automotive engineers and improving our products in the balance are part of the reason we’re in business. So a program like this one made a lot of sense to us. And given the nature of our business with Ford Motor Company and the productive experience we’ve had in supporting Team Rahal, it is a natural next step. We’re excited."

Textron, Inc. has been an associate sponsor and technical partner to Rahal’s Indy car team since 1993.

"We’d been pondering a partnership like this for some time," Rahal said. "then Textron Automotive brought all the pieces into place. We’re very fortunate to have earned their endorsement of and participation in this program, as well as the support of Ford Motor Company and the expertise of Trans-Am’s best, Tom Gloy Racing.

Tom Gloy Racing has 25 Trans-Am victories, including four in 1996. It has won the Motor City 100 at the ITT Automotive Detroit Grand Prix a record four times. Team owner Tom Gloy was also an accomplished driver before shifting his focus to team ownership.

Team Rahal is in its first season of PPG CART World Series competition using Ford engines. Rahal and teammate Bryan Herta will drive Reynards powered by Ford-Cosworth XD engines.