Justin Keen has been short-listed to drive for one of the most powerful teams in the European Formula 3000 Championship.

The series is just one rung below Formula One and supports each and every grand prix round.

And Team Arden, for whom New Forest racer Keen has been testing in Spain, have just clinched the constructors' title. They would have taken the drivers' title, too, but their number one driver Tomas Enge had his Hungaroing victory wiped off the slate for alleged drug taking.

Czech ace Enge still won four races in the Team Arden car and Keen's manager Chris Braun said: "If Justin could land this drive it would be the biggest break of his career."

Originally over 30 drivers applied to test the car in Spain last week. Team Arden chose five, including Keen who impressed them with his performances in the later rounds of this year's championship.

Keen, (pictured) from East Boldre in the New Forest, secured a three-race drive with the European Minardi team and achieved two top-ten finishes in Belgium and Hungary.

He looked on schedule for an even higher finish at Monza until mechanical gremlins struck only five laps into the race.

Since emerging as the star pupil from the Jim Russell national racing school as a teenager, Keen has been a front-runner in Formula Ford, For-mula Renault and Formula Audi Palmer. But a top drive has as yet eluded him, although his luck changed when he met successful businessman Braun.

He was the one who negotiated the Minardi drive and is set to launch a high-profile search for sponsors if Team Arden do select Keen for a drive in next year's European Formula 3000 Championship.

"For a fraction of what it costs to compete in Formula One sponsors can get involved in the next best thing," said Braun.

"The F3000 championship supports F1 at each meeting so the cars are competing in front of massive audiences."

Braun and Keen are discussing the possibility of a TV documentary featuring the 26-year-old New Forest driver. "It would be a fascinating insight into a young driver trying to get his foot on the F1 ladder - far more interesting than the usual fly on the wall stuff," said Braun.