Forthcoming UK Events

DateEventLocation
06-08.07.2012Formula 1 British Grand PrixSilverstone (Arena GP)
01-03.06.2012British Drift ChampionshipNorfolk Arena
23-24.06.2012MG Live 2012Silverstone
25-26.08.2012FIA World Endurance ChampionshipSilverstone

The 2012 Season Starts Here

2012-03-new-season-media-passThe last week has seen a flurry of activity as championships big and small held their annual media days and opening tests, with some already even getting down to racing proper. The British Touring Car Championship heads strongly into a new all-turbo generation and this year boasts 10 models from nine different marques on its 24-car grid, including the technicolour liveried return of the MG name.

The BTCC season opener hits Brands Hatch on 1st April, followed a week later by the first rounds of the British GT Championship and the British F3 International Series at Oulton Park. While some single-seater formulae have struggled in recent times - Formula Renault postponing its UK series due to poor entries - British F3 continues to attract young talent. With recent champions including the Scuderia Toro Rosso pairing of Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne, its status as a stepping-stone to Formula 1 is hard to dispute.

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Tuning Giant APR Takes Title Sponsorship of VW Racing Cup

APR Golf GTI at DaytonaThe Volkswagen Racing Cup is to enter the 2012 season with a new title sponsor - US Volkswagen Group tuning specialist APR, which is backing Britain’s most competitive and best-supported one-make saloon series as part of a new push into Europe.

Alabama-based APR, one of the biggest names in the world of Porsche, Audi, SEAT, Skoda and Volkswagen aftermarket performance products, has set up its European headquarters in Milton Keynes alongside those of Volkswagen Racing UK, and is set to become not just the championship’s title sponsor but also a technical partner.

APR will assist with scrutineering and offer technical assistance to competitors in the APR Volkswagen Racing Cup. “APR was established in 1997 and has many years of motorsport experience in the USA,” said vice-president Keith Lucas, “and it is a logical progression for us to bring the expertise we have gained to the European motorsport market and to offer it to competitors here.

“Britain is the ideal place for us to start our European programme and the Volkswagen Racing Cup is a natural partner for us. It is a great championship and the competitors are enthusiastic and driven, just like APR.”

Sam Roach of Volkswagen Racing UK welcomed APR to the series: “It’s a great fit - APR has built a peerless reputation in the world of motorsport and aftermarket Volkswagen performance parts and the company’s knowledge and experience will prove a major benefit to the championship.”

In the United States, APR Motorsport has enjoyed major success over several seasons in GRAND-AM sports car racing - the team is set to contest the Rolex 24 at Daytona later this month with the first Audi R8 LMS in North America - and also races two Mk VI Golf GTIs and three Mk VI Jetta GLIs in the ST class of the GRAND-AM challenge.

The Volkswagen Racing Cup was established in the UK in 2000 and is entering its 13th season as the sole saloon-racing supporting event to British GT and British F3. This year the championship will also race at Brands Hatch alongside the German touring car championship and at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium as a supporting event to the 25-hour Fun Cup.

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