AVON EXTENDS BRITISH GT DEAL

Avon Tyres will be the title sponsor and official control tyre supplier of the British GT Championship until at least the end of the 2014 season, the Wiltshire-based firm extending to nine years its association with the country’s premier sports car series. It was at the start of the 2006 season that Avon started supplying British GT, and the firm’s backing and the resulting stability has helped the championship become one of Europe’s leading sports car series.

Announcing the new sponsorship agreement, Cooper Tire Europe managing director Julian Baldwin said: “We have enjoyed working with the British GT Championship and are delighted to have formalised an agreement with the championship organisers for a further three years. The constantly-changing mix of cars, each with different characteristics, really tests our expertise but the Avon crew enjoy meeting the challenge head on.”

Stephane Ratel, SRO chairman and promoter of the Avon Tyres British GT Championship, added: “Avon Tyres has shown great dedication to our championship, both on track and behind the scenes. The nature of GT racing brings special challenges for a tyre supplier and Avon has always delivered a superior product that delivers equal performance across a wide range of machinery and generates fantastic race action.

“I am certain that Avon Tyres will continue to support British GT with marketing and promotion, bringing the excitement and aspirational glamour of top-flight GT racing to the race fans of the UK.”

A 12-race 2011 Avon Tyres British GT Championship calendar, featuring events at top UK tracks as well as a visit to Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, was announced last week. Among the highlights will be a three-hour race at Donington Park and two-hour races at Oulton Park,