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<body> <Table Width="550" border="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" cellpadding="0"><TR><TD Width="35"><IMG SRC="//www.totalmotorsport.com/images/spacer.gif" WIDTH="35" HEIGHT="1"></td><td> <CENTER><Table border="0" width="100%"> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="5">PRIVILEGE INSURANCE BRITISH GT CHAMPIONSHIP</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="left"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="2">04/01/2001</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="4">Balfe Signs</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="3">To Share With The 2000 GTO Winner</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><img border="1" src="Storage/ignsnnerPRI.jpg"></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="1">  </FONT></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="left"><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="2"> Shaun Balfe has signed with Team Eurotech to partner reigning GTO champion Mark Sumpter in a new Porsche 911 GT3RS. The car will run in Paragon Porsche and Newark Glass Group colours.<BR> <BR> The successful Mike Jordan / Sumpter partnership is no more because – as already announced – Jordan is moving up to the GT class to partner David Warnock in the latter’s Lister Storm.<BR> <BR> Shaun Balfe drove the Balfe Motorsport GTO Esprit in 2000, but mechanical problems halted the car all too frequently. A drive in a Mike Haines GT Esprit for 2001 seemed likely before Christmas, but Balfe has decided to stay in the GTO class. <BR> <BR> "To get a drive like this is a dream come true. Last season was hard work and I'm really looking forward to just concentrating on racing," says Balfe. "I'm really pleased that Mike and Mark have given me the opportunity to race at the front of GTO, but the competition is going to be even greater. This is a high-profile drive and I'm very excited about it."<BR> <BR> "It's going to be a tough season in GTO and winning the title again won't be easy," says Sumpter. "Shaun is just the type of driver that we were looking for, once we knew that Mike had got a chance with Lister. I'm really looking forward to taking on the challenge of the works Porsches and TVRs and we will be working closely with Mike in test and development of the new car."<BR> <BR> Completing the Team Eurotech GT squad will be former Porsche Cup race winners David and Godfrey Jones in their Preci-Spark liveried GT3R. Pre-Christmas testing suggests that the Leicester-based twins will be strong contenders as they step up to GTO racing. A third GT3R will also be fielded in selected races for Norwegians Steinar Mikkelsen and Ake Gustavsen.<BR> </FONT></TD></TR> </TABLE><BR> </CENTER> <BR><CENTER><font size="1" color="#808080" face="Tahoma">Copyright ©2000-©2023 TotalMotorSport</font></CENTER> </td> </tr> </table> </body>