Motor Racing

Hamilton set to sign $20m sponsorship deal - 14 May 08

Formula One driver, Lewis Hamilton, is set to sign a $20 million personal sponsorship deal with sportswear manufacturer Reebok.

Ecclestone scraps Magny-Cours, wants Paris street race - 13 May 08

Formula One commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone said he would like to introduce a grand prix on the streets of Paris to replace the French grand prix at Magny-Cours.

A1GP secures new sponsorship deal - 8 May 08

Dutch watch manufacturer, TW Steel, has agreed a three-year sponsorship deal with A1GP to become the Official Timing and Watch Partner for the A1GP World Cup.

Super Aguri pull out of Formula One - 6 May 08

The Super Aguri team withdrew from the Formula One World Championship with immediate effect because of a lack of funding.

Teixeria scraps plans to buy F1 team - 1 May 08

A1 GP chairman Tony Teixeira has ditched plans to buy a Formula One team after the sport changed its rules to ban the use of so-called 'customer cars'.

Sydney considers F1 hosting plan - 29 Apr 08

A leading Australian motor racing association will investigate whether a Sydney race track can be upgraded to host a Formula One grand prix.

Hilton signs three year extension with Vodafone McLaren Mercedes - 29 Apr 08

Hilton Hotels signed an extension on its long-term sponsorship agreement with Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, which will see the partnership continue for a further three years.

Mosley to step down next year - 21 Apr 08

President of the FIA Max Mosley has said he will step down from his post voluntarily next year, after 16 years in office.

UK-based Japanese F1 team in financial trouble - 18 Apr 08

The survival of the Super Aguri Formula One team is reported to be in doubt after mooted buyers the Magma Group pulled out at the last minute.

Inferno wins F1 account - 17 Apr 08

UK-based integrated agency Inferno has won the account to handle Abbey’s Formula One sponsorship.

Valencia GP sold out - 14 Apr 08

Tickets for the inaugural 2008 Valencia Formula One Grand Prix have sold out after going on sale on 1 April.

Vigo to stage Powerboat P1 event - 11 Apr 08

Powerboat P1 has confirmed Vigo as the venue for the first ever Powerboat P1 Grand Prix to be staged in Spain.

DirecTV sponsors the IndyCar Series - 8 Apr 08

US broadcaster DirecTV agreed a multi-year deal to become the Official Sponsor for the IndyCar Series.

Mosley calls for FIA meeting - 4 Apr 08

International Automobile Federation (FIA) president, Max Mosley, has called for a meeting of motor sport’s world governing body after four Formula One carmakers called for him to resign following the recent sex scandal allegations.

F1 set to expand race calendar - 3 Apr 08

Formula One team bosses have backed plans to expand the calendar to 20 races year, but say that should be the maximum number of Grands Prix allowed.

Powerboat P1 launches Bahrain event - 3 Apr 08

Powerboat P1 has confirmed Bahrain as the venue for the first ever Powerboat P1 Grand Prix to be staged in the Middle East.

Coca-Cola to sponsor merged IndyCar Series - 2 Apr 08

Soft drinks manufacturer, Coca-Cola North America, agreed a three-year sponsorship deal with IndyCar Series, until 2010.

Richards: Middle East Pivotal to Motor Sport’s Future - 2 Apr 08

The Middle East region will play a pivotal role in the future of the motor sport industry, said David Richards during his keynote address on the first day of the Motor Sport Business Forum Middle East.

Microsoft to sponsor NASCAR race car - 27 Mar 08

Microsoft Corporation’s Small Business division has agreed to sponsor a NASCAR Sprint Cup Toyota Camry for the 2008 season.

Red Bull to partner Citroen WRC team - 26 Mar 08

Drinks manufacturer Red Bull agreed a partnership deal with the Citroen C4 WRC team for the FIA World Rally Championship.

BBC Secures Formula One rights - 20 Mar 08

Public-service broadcaster, the BBC, has acquired the UK rights for Formula One in a five-year deal, from 2009-2013.

A1GP appoint Octagon Worldwide - 18 Mar 08

A1GP World Cup of Motorsport appointed Octagon Worldwide to provide strategic advice around A1GP’s current and future commercial strategy.

F1 Grands Prix are the world’s most valuable annual sporting events - 17 Mar 08

Formula One boasts the world’s highest revenue generating annual sporting events, with the 18 Grands Prix in 2007 having an average revenue of $217 million, according to research from the Sports Business Group at Deloitte.

ITV to show F1 practice on its website - 14 Mar 08

Commercial broadcaster ITV is to add a further tier to its coverage of Formula 1 by making races, practice sessions and press conferences available live, online.

Etihad in Ferrari F1 sponsorship - 13 Mar 08

Etihad Airways signed a three-year sponsorship deal with the Ferrari F1 team. The Abu Dhabi-based airline’s name will feature prominently on the rear wing and side of Ferrari’s car.

Perform and Bigpond launch global Australian sports portal - 12 Mar 08

Perform and Telstra’s BigPond, Australia’s largest internet provider, agreed a deal to launch a global sports portal, Aussie Sport TV, broadcasting top Australian sports.

Ecclestone dismisses Australian GP proposals - 12 Mar 08

Formula One boss, Bernie Ecclestone, dismissed proposals by Australian Grand Prix organisers to push back the start the race at 1700 local time (0600 GMT).

Hicks ends talks with DIC for Liverpool FC - 11 Mar 08

Liverpool FC co-owner, Tom Hicks, ended negotiations with Dubai International Capital over acquiring a 49 per cent stake in the club.

Australian Grand Prix bows to start pressure - 10 Mar 08

Organisers of the Australian Grand Prix hope to have secured the future of the event after agreeing a compromise plan for the race start time after demands from Bernie Ecclestone to stage the race at night.

2009 French GP venue under scrutiny - 7 Mar 08

The chairman of the French Racing Federation, Nicolas Deschaux, said that no decision had been made on the venue of the French Formula One race in 2009, following this season's edition at Magny Cours.

Stihl secures FIA World Touring Car sponsorship - 7 Mar 08

German power tools company Stihl Group extended its sponsorship of the FIA World Touring Car Championship.

Pepe Jeans to sponsor Renault F1 team - 6 Mar 08

Clothing brand, Pepe Jeans London, agreed a three-year sponsorship deal with the Renault Formula 1 Racing Team.

Europsort to broadcast Le Mans series - 5 Mar 08

Eurosport Group has signed a deal to screen the 'Le Mans 24 Hours' races in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Le Mans 24 hours back on Eurosport - 4 Mar 08

The Eurosport Group signed a three-year deal with the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) to broadcast the "Le Mans 24 Hours" races in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

RTL renews German F1 TV deal - 4 Mar 08

German commercial broadcaster RTL agreed a new four-year deal with Formula One Management for the TV rights for Formula One in Germany, from 2008-20011.

Renault reveals pre-tax loss - 3 Mar 08

Renault's Formula One motor racing team made a pre-tax loss of £3.6 million in 2006 despite winning back-to-back world championships.

Silverstone out of the red - 25 Feb 08

Silverstone revealed it made a £1.3million profit during the 18-month period up until the end of 2006.

Cap put on spectator numbers for Fuji GP - 21 Feb 08

Attendance for the 2008 Fuji Grand Prix will be limited to 110,000 organisers have revealed.

Champ Car and IRL close to merger - 20 Feb 08

Talks over a merger between America's two open-wheel racing series Champ Car and the IRL are advancing with a deal possible as early as this week.

F1 Eastern expansion set to continue apace - 19 Feb 08

Formula One looks set to continue to target new events in new markets, particularly in the Middle and Far East, following reports that its advertising and hospitality division took a hit over the last twelve months.

Over 100,000 expected for Valencia Grand Prix - 18 Feb 08

Organisers of the inaugural European Grand Prix at Valencia will make available 112,700 tickets for the August street race.

Formula One set for Middle East Forum - 14 Feb 08

Formula One team bosses have thrown their support behind the inaugural Motor Sport Business Forum Middle East and will take major roles in the event on April 1-2 , 2008. Ron Dennis, Frank Williams, Nick Fry, Christian Horner and Colin Kolles have all confirmed their participation.

Sepang ready to host F1 night race from 2009 - 13 Feb 08

Malaysia's Sepang Formula One circuit said it will be ready to host a night race from next year.

Dakar Rally goes to South America - 12 Feb 08

Argentina and Chile will host the 2009 Dakar Rally after agreeing a deal with organisers the Amaury Sport Organisation.

NASCAR expands media operations - 5 Feb 08

The NASCAR Images and NASCAR Digital Entertainment are to merge to form the NASCAR Media Group (NMG) in a move that will consolidate the rights and interests of both groups into a single entity to develop, produce and distribute a range of programming and content for NASCAR.

Ecclestone warns Australia over Grand Prix - 4 Feb 08

Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone warned that Australia could lose its Formula One Grand Prix and said he was under "quite a lot" of pressure from other countries to take the Melbourne Grand Prix elsewhere.

HD Partners lose NHRA bid - 1 Feb 08

HD Partners Acquisition Corporation has failed to acquire the world's largest drag racing organisation, the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA).  

Ecclestone: UK government should back Silverstone - 1 Feb 08

Bernie Ecclestone reiterated his call for the UK government to support the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

Sevilla joins Superleague Formula - 29 Jan 08

The Spanish-based organisers of new Superleague Formula championship signed up two-time UEFA Cup champions Sevilla FC to the motor racing championship which will kick off in August this year.

MP & Silva and ONE O ONE secure TV rights deals for Speedcar - 29 Jan 08

MP & Silva and ONE O ONE secured key broadcast deals to launch the inaugural Speedcar Series in over 50 countries in Middle East and Asia.

No F1 get out option for Toyota - 28 Jan 08

Toyota is staying in Formula One despite recent reports that the Japanese car maker would back out if results did not improve ‘significantly’ in the next two seasons.

Gauteng announces Formula One Partnership - 24 Jan 08

The government of Gauteng, South Africa's largest province, and the ING Renault Formula One Team have agreed a one-year sponsorship deal.

CitiFinancial to sponsor NASCAR team - 24 Jan 08

Financial service provider CitiFinancial has agreed a one-year primary sponsorship deal with NASCAR’s Roush Fenway Racing team.

TBS extends NASCAR website deal - 23 Jan 08

US cable network Turner Broadcasting System extended its contract with NASCAR to operate its official Web site.

ING to Sponsor Hungarian Grand Prix - 22 Jan 08

Dutch financial institution ING will take over as title sponsor of the 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix.

T-Systems signs new BMW Sauber F1 deal - 21 Jan 08

T-Systems, Deutsche Telekom's business customer unit, and the BMW Sauber F1 Team have signed a new partnership agreement.

Formula One team budgets to be capped. - 18 Jan 08

Formula One teams’ individual operating budgets will be capped from the start of the 2009 season.

Etihad Airways title sponsors Abu Dhabi GP - 15 Jan 08

The inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2009 will feature Etihad Airways as the Formula One race’s title sponsor as part of a three-year deal.

Williams extend Oris sponsorship deal - 7 Jan 08

Formula One team AT&T Williams and Swiss watch makers Oris extended their sponsorship agreement for another three years until 2010.

Camping World backs NASCAR Development Series - 19 Dec 07

Camping World, America’s largest retailer of outdoor accessories, has become the title sponsor for NASCAR’s Development Series beginning in 2008.

V8 Supercars signs up new sponsorship - 12 Dec 07

Beer brand XXXX GOLD agreed a three-year deal with V8 Supercars Australia to become a Platform sponsor of the V8 Supercar Championship Series.

Coke to sponsor NASCAR until 2017 - 7 Dec 07

Coca-Cola extended its marketing partnership with NASCAR in a 10-year deal which runs until 2017.

New sponsor for British Touring Car Championships - 7 Dec 07

The British Touring Car Championship agreed a deal with HiQ to sponsor the Championship for the next three years.

NASCAR targets new truck series title sponsor - 5 Dec 07

NASCAR is confident that it will find a replacement title sponsor for its truck-racing series, after Craftsmen, the title sponsor of 13 years standing, revealed that it will quit the role at the end of 2008.

Bahrain set to host Motor Sport Business Forum in 2008 - 3 Dec 07

The Motor Sport Business Forum is to expand with a new conference and exhibition in the Middle East.

Motor Sport Forum to be broadcast live by Eurosport - 29 Nov 07

Pan-European broadcaster, Eurosport, will produce live coverage of the 2007 Motor Sport Business Forum.

ING pleased with Formula One sponsorship - 28 Nov 07

Financial service group ING says its first year as the main sponsor of the Renault Formula One motor racing team, has exceeded all expectations.

Superleague Formula’s Flamengo unveiling - 26 Nov 07

Brazilian football club Flamengo unveiled the 750 horsepower single seater racing car that will represent the club in Superleague Formula, the motor racing championship featuring football club brands.

Nascar not for sale says France - 20 Nov 07

Nascar CEO Brian France said that US motor racing series Nascar is not for sale now, or in the near future.

A1GP Team Malaysia signs up new sponsor - 20 Nov 07

A1 GP World Cup of Motorsport’s Team Malaysia agreed a deal with Sime Darby Berhad as a new sponsor of the team for this weekend’s home event at the Sepang International Circuit in Kuala Lumpur.

Indian Billionaire to Address Forum - 16 Nov 07

Vijay Mallya, the billionaire owner of the Force India F1 team and the major influence behind India’s bid to host a Formula One Grand Prix, will give a presentation during the opening session of the 2007 Motor Sport Business Forum.

Sportfive and IEC in Sports launch the Transorientale - 13 Nov 07

Sportfive and IEC in Sports launched the Transorientale, a 10,000 kilometre, 17-day rally.

Abu Dhabi signs up for FIA World Rally Championship - 9 Nov 07

Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, was named as Official Destination Partner of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), in a new sponsorship deal.

DigitalRodeo.com sponsors American Le Mans privateer - 31 Oct 07

DigitalRodeo.com has entered into a multi-year sponsorship agreement with American Le Mans' privateer, Intersport Racing.

Silverstone wins right to host World Aerobatic Championship - 31 Oct 07

The Silverstone Circuit, home of the British Formula One Grand Prix, will host the next official FAI World Aerobatic Championship in 2009.

Singapore to build motorsports track - 31 Oct 07

The Singapore Government aims to build the city state’s motor sports industry by working with the private sector to build a permanent race track.

Formula One night race given green light - 25 Oct 07

Formula One officials confirmed that the streets of Singapore will host the series’ first ever night race in 2008.

Australia will not host World Rally round - 25 Oct 07

Australia will not host a round of the World Rally Championship until 2009 at the earliest.

Spyker To Be Called Force India In 2008 - 22 Oct 07

Formula One team Spyker will be renamed as the Force India Formula One team next season, new owner Vijay Mallya said.

A1GP World Cup of Motorsport and Ferrari partnership - 11 Oct 07

Ferrari signed a six-year deal to manufacture and supply all A1GP engines for the series and to design and consult on the manufacture of all A1GP car chassis for use in the series’ forthcoming fourth season, 2008-09.

Johnnie Walker renews McLaren Mercedes F1 partnership - 8 Oct 07

Diageo, through its Johnnie Walker brand, and Formula One team Vodafone McLaren Mercedes agreed to extend their sponsorship partnership.

Nationwide to Sponsor Nascar’s Number 2 series - 8 Oct 07

Nationwide Insurance agreed a seven-year deal reported to be worth between $70 million and $80 million to become the title sponsor of Nascar’s Number 2 series, formerly known as the Busch Series.

North One deal for World Rally - 5 Oct 07

North One Television acquired International Sportsworld Communicators (ISC) - the media and commercial rights holders of the FIA World
Rally Championship.

A1 Team GBR signs commercial sponsorship - 4 Oct 07

A1 Team Great Britain, the winners of the opening round of the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport in Circuit Park Zandvoort, has signed a one-year commercial sponsorship deal with Playseats.

NBC Sports extends truck racing partnership - 4 Oct 07

NBC Sports and Championship Off Road Racing (CORR) have extended their partnership through 2009 with NBC increasing its programmng commitment to the sport.

New funding round for ‘Superleague Formula’ - 27 Sep 07

Superleague Formula, the motor racing championship featuring football club brands, has announced a new round of financing.

Building firm races to NASCAR Canada partner deal - 13 Sep 07

Allied Steel Buildings has penned a deal with NASCAR to become its official partner in Canada.

AT&T and NASCAR reach compromise - 10 Sep 07

US motor racing series NASCAR reached a compromise agreement with AT&T which puts an end to months of legal wrangling over AT&T's sponsorship.

Hicks sizes up NASCAR investment - 10 Sep 07

Tom Hicks, the co-owner of Liverpool FC, has held talks with a major NASCAR racing team about a possible investment in the sport.

F1 reaches cinema audience - 10 Sep 07

Last Sunday’s Formula 1 Grand Prix from Monza was broadcast in selected cinemas across the UK, presented by SportVision Media.

Aer Arann jets in with Rally Island partnership - 7 Sep 07

Irish airline Aer Arann has agreed a partnership deal with Rally Ireland.

Fulford PR to handle F1 Singapore Grand Prix - 4 Sep 07

Fulford Public Relations has been brought onboard as the PR agency to handle the F1 Singapore Grand Prix, set to take place on September 28, 2008.

F1 DUO SPEED IN TO BUY QPR - 3 Sep 07

F1 power players Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone have finally unveiled details of a much-trailed £14 million offer for Queen's Park Rangers the English second tier football club.

Sponsor shortage derails Phoenix Champ Car race - 30 Aug 07

Champ Car World Series chiefs have been forced to pull the plug on an upcoming race in Phoenix due to a lack of sponsors.

NASCAR struggle with series sponsor talks - 30 Aug 07

Reports coming out of the US suggest NASCAR is struggling to secure a title sponsorship for its second tier series.

BANK OF AMERICA APPOINTS MOTORSPORTS MARKETER - 29 Aug 07

Bank of America has appointed Mike Hargrave as senior vice president and Motorsports Platform executive to oversee strategy and activation development for the company's motorsports sponsorships.

A1GP SETS UP ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMME - 29 Aug 07

A1GP World Cup of Motorsport has unveiled a series of initiatives to help reduce its environmental footprint.

DELHI GETS F1 RACE STUDY DEADLINE - 21 Aug 07

The race for Delhi to book its place on the Formula One calendar has a new deadline to work to.

JACOBDAVIS PRODUCTIONS TO CREATE THE WORLD’S LARGEST STADIUM CARD STUNT - 15 Aug 07

Over 125,000 people will participate in the world’s largest card stunt at the Sprint Nextel at Bristol Motor Speedway’s (BMS) Sharpie 500 on Saturday, August 25.

BP SPONSORS INDY HOT ROD RACE - 14 Aug 07

National Hot Rod Association [NHRA], the ruling body for championship drag motor racing has named British Petroleum [BP] as the presenting sponsor of the Indy NHRA Sport Compact Nationals at Indianapolis this week.