MINI UK SIGNS BRITISH RACING DRIVER

MINI UK is proud to announce British racing driver, Charlie Butler-Henderson, 37, as a new brand ambassador.

2016 will represent the first time Butler-Henderson competes as a MINI ambassador but he is in no way new to the track. He has driven in the British Touring Car Championship, MINI CHALLENGE 2015, Ginetta G50 Cup and the Trofeo Abarth 500 Great Britain.

Butler-Henderson has racing in his blood, coming from a long line of motorsport heritage. His father, Guy, was a member of the British karting team; his Grandfather, Lionel, raced cars for racing legend Fraser Nash, and his sister Vicki, TV presenter on 5th gear and Top Gear, is known as the first woman to win a Maserati race at age 30 in the Maserati Trofeo support race at the British F1 GP in 2002.

Butler-Henderson joins the MINI racing team, participating in seven MINI CHALLENGE events this season, starting on 23rd April at Donington Park. The MINI CHALLENGE is a series of races held at some of the UK’s most iconic tracks - Brands Hatch GP, Donington, Oulton Park, Silverstone and Snetterton - where fans of MINI and can tear around the circuits in the newest specially developed MINI John Cooper Works race cars. Charlie currently holds the 2015 MINI CHALLENGE Championship title, crossing the finishing line within two seconds of his competitors.

Catch Charlie and all the action on Channel 4 next month when the MINI CHALLENGE series makes its debut with a thirty minute programme offering petrol heads some of the most exciting and thrill-a-minute racing in the UK.

Commenting on the new partnership, Butler-Henderson says, “This is a very exciting year for me and I am honoured to be working with MINI; it is a dream come true. I am looking forward to putting my Union Jack MINI JCW to the test at Donington Park in two weeks and hope to retain my title.”

Nicolas Griebner, MINI UK Head of Product, “MINI has racing in its DNA so we are really excited to be supporting such a fantastic and charismatic racing driver – I’m looking forward to seeing him in action defending his title throughout the season.”

Charlie will be among the motorsport legends at Goodwood Festival of Speed from 23rd – 26th June, racing up the famous Hillclimb in the MINI CHALLENGE car (twice daily on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.)

When Butler-Henderson is not racing, he has a MINI John Cooper Works Hatch to drive around the UK (pictured above). Launched in 2015, the MINI John Cooper Works Hatch offers premium performance for the road. With a 2.0 litre 4-cylinder engine and TwinPower Turbo Technology, the MINI John Cooper Works achieves top speeds of 153mph and reaches 62mph in 6.3 seconds.

Follow Charlie Butler-Henderson on:

Twitter: @CharlieBH_

Instagram: charliebh_1

Facebook: Charlie Butler-Henderson

Hashtag: #ChallengeCharlie

For more information on MINI UK, visit www.MINI.co.uk

For more information or tickets to Goodwood Festival of Speed, visit www.goodwood.com

For more information on the MINI CHALLENGE visit http://www.minichallenge.co.uk

Ends

The BMW Group

With its three brands BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. As a global company, the BMW Group operates 30 production and assembly facilities in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2015, the BMW Group sold approximately 2.247 million cars and nearly 137,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax for the financial year 2015 was approximately € 9.22 billion on revenues amounting to € 92.18 billion. As of 31 December 2015, the BMW Group had a workforce of 122,244 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.

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Notes to editors

Picture captions:

• MINI UK new motorsports ambassador CBH receives the keys for his MIN JCW Hatch from MINI UK’s Head of Product, Nicolas Griebner

More images available upon request.

Charlie Butler Henderson will be on the stand and available for interviews throughout Goodwood Festival of Speed. To arrange an interview slot please contact the MINI UK press office (details below).

MINI Press Office Contacts:

Ileana Polycarpou                iris PR Senior Account Executive

Tel:  07507 676 156              Email: Ileana.polycarpou@iris-worldwide.com

Sarah Morris                          MINI Media Relations Executive

Tel: 01252 921771                 Email: sarah.morris@mini.co.uk

Chris Overall                           MINI Media Relations Manager

Tel: 07815 370 990               Email: chris.overall@mini.co.uk