MARK SUMPTER JOINS GULFAIR TEAM FOR SPA 1000km

Former British GTO sports car champion Mark Sumpter is to be part of the Team GulfAir squad for next Sunday's (31 Aug) Spa 1000km race at Spa-Francorchamps.

Sumpter, 34, will join the team's regular drivers Stuart Scott and Steve Wood for the Belgian round of the British GT Championship, sharing the driving duties in their turbocharged Golf GTI.

"The Spa race is the longest the team has ever faced and adding Mark to the team is going to be a major benefit for us," said Cambridge Business Travel MD Scott. "Mark has a lot of experience and we're going to make full use of it."

West Sussex-based Sumpter is no stranger to racing Volkswagens, although his sports car career has hitherto centred on the Porsche marque. He first raced in 1992 in the Beetle Cup, winning at Snetterton, before progressing to the Porsche Cup and British GTs. He won the GTO class in 2000. This season Sumpter has been contesting the FIA GT Championship at the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT3 RS; his last outing was in the Spa 24 Hour classic.

"Mark has a lot to answer for", explained Stuart, "he got me started in racing. I had seen him race in the Beetle and when he put it up for sale I just had to buy it. I just loved the look and colour of it. We became good friends and Paragon used to look after me and now CBT is pleased to sponsor Mark"

Name Mark Sumpter Nationality GBR Date of Birth 24th Apr, 1969 Age 34 Birthplace Sussex, England Residence Halland, Sussex, England Profession Garage owner (Paragon Porsche) Marital Status married Hobbies classic cars and racing cars Favorite Track Spa-Francorchamps website www.paragon.gb.com

Aug 22nd 2003