This weekend marks the start of this year’s 20-race season for the MINI CHALLENGE JCW Class in the UK, which will also feature a Hungarian driver, Geri Rácz. The talented racer will be taking another step towards the top ranks of touring car racing with last year’s champion team, EXCELR8 Motorsport and Thomas Breitling, known for its premium menswear products.
Thomas Breitling is primarily targeting men between the ages of 30 and 50 but the brand is also reaching out to younger age groups through various partnerships. It is becoming increasingly involved in the world of sport alongside Hungarian brand ambassadors Attila Árpa and Sándor Sasvári. The brand is the official supplier of the Hungarian men’s and women’s water polo team and is also promoting the elegant and relaxed style in SUP sports, tennis and through Geri Rácz, in motorsports, with the motto “Be a real Man!”
“We are strongly turning to the world of sport and as part of that we are following the development of motorsports,” said József Dinnyés, Managing Director of Thomas Breitling.
“It was only natural to take notice of a young talent who could be a role model and a Real Man of the future in a sport where there are tough battles to be fought and challenges to be faced race after race. Geri and his racing car, the MINI also have a stylish, fashionable look that fits in well with the Thomas Breitling brand, which is also bold in its choice of colours, quality materials and tailoring.”
Thomas Breitling operates nine stores and a webshop in Hungary in Etele Plaza, Balatonfüred, Campona shopping centre, Westend, Shopmark, Pólus Center, Hévíz, as well as two outlets in Nyíregyháza and Premier Outlet. In addition to the races in the UK, visitors can expect to see a Thomas Breitling MINI Cooper S at Thomas Breitling stores and at other key events such as the Super Racing Festival in June and the ZEG Rallyshow in August.
“Besides racing, I also love the world of fashion, so it’s an honour to have such a stylish brand as Thomas Breitling backing my career,” said Geri Rácz. “I’m especially pleased to have the brand on my race car in a spectacular and creative way. I’m expecting a big fight in the MINI Challenge UK this year, it won’t always be easy, but I’ll do my best to be successful.”
The talented driver will be competing in the MINI CHALLENGE JCW, a permanent support series of the legendary British Touring Car Championship (BTCC), with a race car based on the F56 MINI with Goodyear slick tyres, sequential gearbox and a minimum power output of 270 bhp. The series offers the ideal opportunity to develop Geri’s skills in the UK, a centre of touring car racing, in front of a large field of spectators in a serious business environment.
The series will start on 23-24 April 2022 on the Donington Park National circuit, with drivers competing in a total of 20 races over 7 rounds at legendary venues such as Brands Hatch and Silverstone. Each of the race weekends will be part of the BTCC programme, so the large crowds and television coverage will create new opportunities for the young athlete, who is represented by Motorsport Talent Management (MOTAM) in both the sporting and business side since 2022 January.
“We have carefully considered what further steps we can take to build Geri’s sporting career in the best possible place and time and we believe MINI CHALLENGE JCW and EXCELR8 Motorsport are exceptional partners to help us achieve our goals,” said Tamás Őry, Managing Director of MOTAM. “We are grateful for Thomas Breitling for placing their trust in us, we will strive to build a successful, value-creating partnership that is not only sporting success but also business success.”
