This news comes from Crash.net:

Following its elevation to 'promoted series' status by the MSA, the John Cooper Challenge has been confirmed as the primary support race series for the British GT and British F3 programme in 2005.

Next season will be the highly successful one-make MINI racing series' fourth, and will comprise six double-header race weekends selected from the GT/F3 calendar between April and October. As in 2004, the championship grid will comprise both the Cooper S and Cooper categories and, with a total of 30 starting spots available, the split is anticipated to be twelve 'works' Cooper S models and 18 'works' Coopers. Despite having only recently informed this year's competitors of the changes, 18 places have already been filled by drivers returning to the series next year.

“The John Cooper Challenge has packed out its grids with MINIs since its inception in 2002, and produces consistently close and exciting racing, which works well for competitors, spectators and TV,” said Stephane Ratel, the MD of package organiser SRO clearly excited to have the Challenge as a support to his headline series, “It's great that they're on board.”

You can read the entire article here.