About the GT Cup Since it began in 2007 the GT Cup has grown to become a firmly established part of the UK Motorsport landscape. Founded as a premium GT sprint series open to drivers with eligible supercars, it has continuously proved to be the championship of choice. Over the years the championship has grown in stature with top international GT teams supporting the series and numerous professional drivers taking part. The championship can also boast one of the widest varieties of GT cars in UK motorsport, split into four groups by the maximum lap time potential of each car. With GT3 equipment from Aston Martin, McLaren, Porsche, and Ferrari, as well as GT4 cars from Ginetta and Lotus, there was a rich diversity of makes and models from the thirteen manufacturers that participated in 2015.
This year’s calendar will feature seven two-day weekends of racing as well as an eighth single day meet, meaning 23 individual races over the season. With a mixture of 25 minute sprint races and 50 minute pit stop races, the championship promises to offer something to satisfy every spectator’s motor sport appetite, and with sponsor grid walks at Donnington Park in April and at the Snetterton finale in October, those involved are sure to be able to get up close and personal with this exciting sport.
The TEAM & THE DRIVERS AFF Racing is a well known participant in the UK motor sport scene. Having participated in the Porsche Club Championship for the last three years, AFF has risen to be one of the most recognised teams priding themselves on a near perfect reliability record, something that is rather unusual in motorsport. Operating from a commercial facility in Hertfordshire, AFF has the equipment and expertise to ensure their vehicles are capable of winning the championship.
THE DRIVERS TOM BRADSHAW
JONATHAN EVANS
Tom holds the record for the most wins in the History of Formula Palmer Audi, and was awarded the inaugural Porsche Carrera Cup Scholarship by Porsche in 2009. Tom was selected by the BRDC in 2006 as one of the top 4o rising stars in the UK and has been driving in numerous classes all over Europe for many different race teams since; with experience in both official manufacturer test driver roles and racing driving.
Jonathan Evans has participated in motor racing for the last three seasons. Now holding an international C race licence, Jonathan has gained considerable experience wining races in several sprint championships and coming third overall in the 2015 Porsche Club Championship. Jonathan also successfully competed in the 2015 Britcar 24 hour endurance race, finishing fourth in class.
THE TRACKS The GT Cup championship calendar offers excellent coverage of Britain with its eight event, 23 race calendar covering the length and breadth of the country. From Brands Hatch in Kent to Oulton Park in Cheshire, the geographic spread of the championship allows fans to experience the GT Cup at their local circuit, ensuring its continued growth. This year the championship will visit the following circuits: 25th & 26th April 9th & 10th May 23rd & 24th May 13th & 14th June 25th & 26th July 15th & 16th August 19th & 20th September 10th October
Donington Park (National) Brands Hatch (GP) Rockingham (ISSC) Silverstone (GP) Snetterton (300)
Oulton Park (International) Donington Park (National) Rockingham (ISSC) Snetterton (300)
Brands Hatch (GP)
Brands Hatch (GP) Donington Park (GP) Oulton Park (International)
Silverstone (National)
TELEVISION & MEDIA The GT Cup’s association with Motors TV continues into the new season with an enhanced package. In 2015 the championship benefited from hour-long highlights programmes shown in prime Friday evening slots and repeated up to five times in the following week. The pan-European broadcast allows the GT Cup to reach a broad audience. This resulted in over 1,400 minutes of race footage being broadcast European-wide. The demographic of the channel has a heavy leaning towards male motorsport fans as can be seen in the demographic information detailed here. A heady mix of close racing, varied and exotic cars and more than our fair share of professional drivers has generated a lot of coverage for the GT Cup during the course of the 2015 season. Whilst the championship is primarily focused on the sportsman drivers, the appearances of touring car stars including Tom Ingram and Sam Tordoff as well as established GT drivers including Warren Hughes, Tim Harvey and Rory Butcher have attracted column inches in the national newspapers.
In addition to coverage in the nation’s motorsport publications Autosport and Motorsport News the Daily Telegraph has run features on Rebecca Jackson’s campaign allowing the 1.2 million readers of the Saturday edition to find out what the GT Cup is about. We actively work with all disciplines of the media to maximise out exposure which includes a focus on local print media as well as national titles. The internet has presented the GT Cup with its biggest opportunity to reach a large audience immediately. From live race commentary via Twitter to regular email communications, online traffic has grown year-on-year at an impressive rate from website visits to social media impressions and video streaming. The relaunched GT Cup website saw a dramatic increase in website traffic during the season thanks to greater integration across all digital platforms.
2015 KEY HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE Fans of the GT Cup Facebook engaged by liking, commenting on or sharing content over 10,000 times. 624,995 people viewed GT Cup tweets during the season FACEBOOK LIKES WERE UP 45% in 2015 twitter followers increased by 42% THE GT CUP HAS ATTRACTED FOLLOWERS FROM OVER 45 COUNTRIES ON FACEBOOK
HOSPITALITY Prominently located in the middle of the paddock at every GT Cup race, the race centre is the championship hub. Team managers, drivers and invited guests can enjoy the superb catering and relax in their home-from-home at the race track. Guests can brush shoulders with competitors which all contributes to the friendly paddock atmosphere that is a trademark of the GT Cup. The race centre is not just for friends and family; it plays an important part in welcoming corporate guests from driver and team sponsors. With hospitality being such an important and valuable tool,
it allows businesses to build relationships with partners, suppliers, and other race attendees. It is also a place where people can relax and enjoy the day’s racing. Invited guests can gain access to the exclusive hospitality of the GT Cup race centre which includes drinks throughout the day, a two course lunch, and a superb level of hospitality in a warm and welcoming environment.
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITY Motorsport is a fantastic way to engage with a passionate demographic of the population. By partnering with AFF Racing, you can gain significant exposure which can prove to be a very cost-effective alternative to advertising a brand and provide increasing customer awareness with a loyal sector. Sponsorship is an incredibly versatile and effective means of marketing a company or brand, with wide exposure, press, hospitality, and video and photo content all contributing to the toolkit. Add in the use of a race car at a business networking event, show or corporate day, and you will understand why working with AFF becomes an attractive opportunity.
TITLE SPONSOR • Entire vehicle presented in bespoke sponsor livery.
• Two fully managed track days at either Silverstone
• Driver race suits in sponsor livery.
or Brands Hatch for up to four guests including all
• Driver crash helmets in sponsor livery.
safety equipment, vehicles and driver tuition with an
• Non-race clothing including jackets, t-shirts, sweatshirts
ARDS qualified racing driver.
and caps all to include major sponsor logo placement.
• Static use of the race car at two one day events of
• Sponsor gift bag for all guests at each event.
the sponsors choosing, including collection and de-
• Full VIP hospitality for up to eight guests at each event to
livery to and from anywhere in mainland UK.
include breakfast and lunch in the race centre. • Garage visit and “meet the driver” session at each event. • Post race report to include sponsor logo and thanks. • Significant social media presence on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with direct and indirect sponsor references.
• Two VIP tickets and accommodation to the GT Cup end of season award ceremony. • Four VIP tickets with full hospitality in the Paddock Club to the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
PARTNER SPONSOR
• Prominent logo placement on each vehicle.
• Post race report to include sponsor logo and thanks.
• Breast logo placement on driver race suits.
• Significant social media presence on Facebook, Twitter
• Non-race clothing including jackets, t-shirts, sweatshirts and caps all to include sponsor logo placement. • Full VIP hospitality for up to four guests at each event to include breakfast and lunch in the race centre. • Garage visit and “meet the driver” session at each event.
and Instagram with direct and indirect sponsor references. • Static use of the race car at two one day events of the sponsors choosing, including collection and delivery anywhere in mainland UK.
Further enquiries about participation in AFF’s success should be directed to: Mr Clive Hilton, Team Manager, AFF Racing clive@affracing.com | 07816 458117