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Tom Boardman will drive a petrol-engined SEAT Leon for the Sunred team in the 2009 FIA World Touring Car Championship.

The 25-year old Briton signed for Sunred at the SEAT Sport Awards ceremony in Barcelona.

Last season Boardman competed in both the Spanish SEAT Leon Supercopa and the SEAT Leon Eurocup, scoring eight race victories and clinching the Supercopa title.

Boardman's Eurocup victory in Pau secured him a maiden WTCC appearance at Estoril, where he finished third in the Independents' class at the wheel of a Sunred car.

This season will mark the sixth year of Boardman's association with SEAT.

"It all feels like a bit of a dream at the moment - I feel like the luckiest man alive," said Boardman. "I've watched the WTCC on television for several years and always dreamt of competing in it.

"Now I have this great opportunity, I'm going to give it 100 per cent."

Boardman's team-mate at Sunred will be former Independents' champion Tom Coronel.

"He (Coronel) did really well in the last year, and even won the second WTCC race in Japan outright," Boardman added.

"I think together we'll make a very strong team and be able to challenge for the Independents' titles in both the teams' and drivers' categories."

Eurosport