Mugen Motorsport

Halfords/GRP Motorsport withdraw from TORA Touring Car Championship

14th May, Prestwick, Scotland

Long-standing TORA Touring Car outfit Team Halfords is no more. The team announced this morning that it would be withdrawing from the TORA TCC for season 3 following the breakdown of contract renewals with lead sponsors Halfords. As a result, garyp3398 announced that GRP Motorsport, which is owned by him and prepares the cars used in the last two seasons of the TORA TCC, would not be submitting an entry to the third season.

This leaves contracted drivers ckBrenneke and jenson09 in limbo as preparations were well underway for their third season assault on the TCC. The team, which finished 4th in the season 2 standings, were the only team to have had a presence in the TCC since it's inaugural race at Maple Valley GP in May 2008.

ckBrenneke said "It's very disappointing for myself and the guys. I can understand garyp3398's reasons for withdrawing, however, and we just have to look at other options. The crew are keen to get the cars out on track for the new season as they had done such a sterling job of preparing them, and we really thought we had turned a corner in testing. The Civic Si was a race-winning car, despite the problems with handling we had last season. It's very sad to think we may be at an end."

Nevertheless, the team, now known amongst themselves as Team Prestwick due to that being their base, have submitted an provisional entry for the third season of the TCC.

jenson09 said "We are looking at potential backers who could come in and get us back on track. As late as this news comes, I am hopeful we can find something that will see the cars on track at Mugello."

When asked whether he intended to look for a drive with another team, he replied "I am contracted and committed to the team. I have spent the last year with these guys, and I don't intend deserting them now. They gave me a car with which I did the job they brought me on board to do - win races. I just hope we can find a backer who can see the potential in the new car and invest to get us back out there."

As the team with the longest tenure in the TCC, it is not unfeasable that a backer may be found. In the meantime, we believe that remaining sponsorship money and TORA TV rights will allow the team to continue their build-up to the new season. It is also believed that GRP Motorsport have agreed to release crew and lease facilities to any new team created from further investment. Until then, everyone in Prestwick have their fingers crossed.

Team Prestwick's plans to return to the grid continued today as they welcomed a third driver to the team. AJzero will take the vacant seat and join the testing of the new car. The team looks forward to his feedback.

While the future of the team is unconfirmed, the rumours continue. Latest on the grapevine is that lead driver ckBrenneke has been spotted meeting with a popular industrialist. A potential buyer for the team, perhaps?

This industrialist........Mexican perhaps?

I welcome the challenge of AJZero in the team. Certainly Team Prestwick has a raft or Race 3 specialists now!!

Happy to be onboard and looking forward to Mugello!

'Tony Texeria's Dorito's Racing'?

Watch this space - this is virgin territory for us.

Have you given away the sponsor?

Nah... we're after a buyer. He's not interested at this time though...

Team Prestwick update

Team Prestwick are in talks with a foreign business magnate over purchase of the team.

Meanwhile, work continues on the car. The team believe they have hit upon a working build and tune that is delivering the goods in a huge way. While progress on development saw the team working on a number of different chassis, it is believed they have narrowed the choice down and are hoping that the car will be available come selection day.

Team Earthdreams announced

24th June, Prestwick, Scotland

The TORA TCC team formerly known as Team Halfords, and more recently nicknamed Team Prestwick, have officially been announced as Team Earthdreams for the 2009 TCC campaign.

The team have announced a quasi-works deals with Honda which will see them running with sponsorship in the form of the Earthdreams campaign that was carried by the Honda F1 team before the manufacturer's withdrawal from that sport. While the backing of Honda does not form a fully-backed works campaign, it does save Team Prestwick and confirm their entry in the new season of the Touring Car Championship.

A spokesman for the Japanese manufacturer said 'We decided to enter into a sponsorship deal with the team due to their proven track record with Honda's cars. While running as Team Halfords, the team took race wins and ran the Civic Si, putting our marque firmly in the spotlight. While we have withdrawn from the premier class of motorsport, we still wish to have our cars promoted, and where better than with a team with the pedigree of having three race winners in the lineup.

"We decided to continue to push our Earthdreams message in this arena as where better to promote our mission of reducing emissions and environmentally-friendly motorsport can be seen on cars that are available on the forecourts of showrooms across the world."

Part of the sponsorship package sees Team Earthdreams recieve three Honda Civic Type-Rs, which have been race-prepared by a team of engineers which previously ran the team as part of GRP Motorsport.

Pictures to follow shortly...

Team Earthdreams becomes Mugen Motorsport

30th June 2009, Prestwick, Scotland

Only a week after announcing a new name and sponsorship package, this morning sees the team that was once Team Halfords change its name again.

"Following the announcement of our sponsorship package with Honda, "ckBrenneke said, "it gives me great pleasure to reveal today that Honda has agreed to step that sponsorship up to another level. We will not be running as previously stated as Team Earthdreams. Nor will we be using the Civic Type R chassis.
"Honda's inhouse tuning, Mugen, has agreed to supply us with technical and financial support, including the delivery of three Civic Si chassis. These cars will be fitted with Mugen-supplied engine blocks, and will be sporting a new livery that will be unmistakeable on the track. For the rest of the season, we will be running under the name Mugen Motorsport.
"Also, yesterday the team was formally purchased under a management buyout by myself, and as a result we will be preparing and running the Mugen Motorsport cars as Brenn GP. This deal brings stability to what was an uncertain period for us, as the events of the last few weeks have shown.
"I would like to conclude by thanking Honda and Mugen for their faith in picking Brenn GP as the team which will push their brand to a common market which sees their cars in a prime position on a media package including web, press and TORA TV. We will do our utmost as a team to reward this trust by taking wins in a car that we know to be powerful and capable of running at the front."

The current car



And what the Earthdreams Civic would have looked like



This early paint was done before we finalised the TORA TCC stickers, hence the BTCC ones.

I liked the Earthdreams car

weeeeelllllll TOUGH!!!!
When you see all the lil details on the car you'll apreciate hy we went for this one.

I do like the new car, its just that Earthdreams car was mighty impressive especially for 1 hours work

I do like the blue flames on your car mind

Ta mate. I liked the earthdreams paint too! Though I'd have gone for the 08 car myself.
The blue looks soooooo much better than the gold I had been using

Does anyone from Brenn GP other than ckbrenneke have the Halfords scheme, just in case he can't get online by 8pm.

Richy59 wrote:I do like the new car, its just that Earthdreams car was mighty impressive especially for 1 hours work

Well, it was a bit more than an hour. But thanks.