TAG Heuer GT250 Joins A1 Grand Prix Programme

Top GT/Sportscar teams invited to Brands Hatch event

Brands Hatch owner MotorSport Vision is aiming to recreate the glory days of top international sportscar racing at the famous Kent venue by creating an international invitation GT race which will feature alongside the world debut of the A1 Grand Prix Championship on September 24/25.

Adding further prestige to this major new event will be title sponsorship by one of the most famous names in global motorsport - TAG Heuer. The prestigious Swiss watchmaker has a rich heritage of Motorsport involvement, having been official timekeeper for Scuderia Ferrari in the 1970’s, official timekeeper for the FIA Formula One World Championships for 12 years, and partner of the McLaren Mercedes F1 team since 1985. TAG Heuer is also currently official timekeeper for the Indy Racing League and Indy 500 in the US.

Brands Hatch is a circuit synonymous with major Sports/GT events. Among the famous races held at the Kent circuit are the Guards Trophy, BOAC 1000 and numerous World Sportscar Championship events. MotorSport Vision Chief Executive Jonathan Palmer, who won the 1000km sports car race in 1984, is inviting teams from across the UK and Europe to enter the race, which will be based on the FIA and British GT regulations.

The stand-alone event will be run in three classes - GT1 for FIA GT and LMES GTS cars; GT2 for FIA N-GT Championship cars, British N-GT Championship cars and LMES GT Championship cars and GT3 for Cup Category of British GT and Britcar Championship cars. The weekend’s two races, totalling 250 km, will be run on the legendary 2.6-mile Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit with the revised Westfield corner which will form part of the upgrading work to achieve FIA Grade 2 status.

Each day of the weekend will feature one 45-minute GT race and, with the event being thrown open to cars complying with FIA GT and British GT Championship regulations, a large entry of spectacular and beautiful machinery is expected. The announcement of these high-profile races will be a huge boost to British GT teams, which now not only have the chance to race at Brands Hatch, a drivers’ and sponsors’ favourite, but also on the revised Grand Prix circuit at the most prestigious event of the year after the British Grand Prix.

Palmer said: "I love sportscar racing and have fantastic memories of winning here in the Canon Porsche 956. We are returning to the halcyon days of Brands Hatch and bringing back the status of big sportscar events with the TAG Heuer GT250, which could become an annual event, is the start of that process. I am delighted that TAG Heuer will be title sponsor of what is sure to be a wonderful race with a field expected to include Porsche, Ferrari, TVR and perhaps even Aston Martin. The combination of A1GP, the Thoroughbred Grand Prix Championship and now the TAG Heuer GT250 will make this one of the must-see events of the 2005 season."

Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO & President TAG Heuer S.A, said: "TAG Heuer has a rich and unique Motorsport heritage, which be traced back to when we worked with legendary drivers such as Juan-Manuel Fangio. We are currently active in Formula 1 with Team McLaren Mercedes, Kimi Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya, Official Timekeeper to 1/10’000th second for the Indy Racing League and Indy 500, ChampCar series through reigning Champion Sebastien Bourdais and NASCAR with TAG Heuer ambassador Jeff Gordon. We are pleased to add International GT Racing to this extensive roster through the TAG Heuer GT250."