Renault UK Aces To Race For Charity At NEC

Four of Britain's most talented young single-seater racing drivers are to join forces in aid of the British Heart Foundation for a special charity kart race at the NEC in Birmingham on Friday, 11th January, as part of the world-famous Autosport International show.

The BP Ultimate Celebrity Kart Challenge has become an integral part of the annual NEC show, drivers from disciplines as diverse as Formula One, GT racing and touring cars all coming together with exactly the same aim -- to raise as much as possible for their charity.

For the 2008 event, Formula Renault UK stars Will Bratt, David Epton, Alexander Sims and Dean Smith will join together along with a, yet-to-be determined, member of the public under the tongue-in-cheek banner FRUKing Quick.

The British Heart Foundation is the team's chosen charity for the race, a 90-minute endurance spectacular in which they will need to finish in the top three to secure a share of the prize fund for their incredibly worthwhile cause.

Banbury-based Will Bratt finished third overall in Formula Renault UK this year with four race victories before also taking the Vice-Champion's position in the Formula Palmer Audi Autumn Trophy.

His 2007 team-mate David Epton, who was only able to complete half the season due to budget restrictions, also produced a consistent string of typically strong performances as the pairing helped Apotex Scorpio Motorsport finish third overall in the entrant standings for the first time in the squad's history.

Manor Competition's Alexander Sims enjoyed an excellent debut season in Formula Renault UK, the Peterborough driver racing to eighth in the championship and taking his first ever win in single-seaters at the mid-point of the campaign.

Wolverhampton's Dean Smith, meanwhile, competed for the reigning champion entrant Fortec Motorsport and took a hat-trick of race wins on his way to the Vice-Champion's position in the driver standings.

Alongside the four incredibly talented junior single-seater racers, the line-up of drivers confirmed for the charity kart race also includes Grand Prix winner Johnny Herbert, double Indy Car Champion and Indy 500 winner Gil de Ferran and reigning American Le Mans Series Champion and former Le Mans 24 Hours winner Allan McNish.

In addition to the fun and fundraising, the event will offer excellent media exposure for the charity itself and also any potential team and driver sponsors as extensive highlights of the race action will be featured on cable and digital satellite channels Men & Motors and Motors TV.

Heart and circulatory disease is the biggest cause of premature death in the UK with Cardiovascular Disease responsible for almost 40 per cent of deaths. Coronary heart disease, the main form of CVD, causes almost 120,000 deaths each year in the UK which translates to approximately one in five deaths in men and one in six in women.

As with any charity event of this nature all donations are welcome, so if any businesses would like to get involved with the Celebrity Kart Challenge as a sponsor to ensure as much as possible is raised for the British Heart Foundation, please contact team manager Marc Orme on 07773 424295.

The 2008 Autosport International show will run over four days at the Birmingham NEC, starting with press and trade day on Thursday, 10th January. Trade visitors will continue to have access to the event on Friday, 11th January, the day of the Celebrity Kart Challenge, ahead of the two public days on Saturday and Sunday, 12th/13th January.

More information regarding the British Heart Foundation can be found at www.bhf.org.uk

-credit frenault/marc-orme.co.uk