Tyre manufacturer Dunlop will return as title sponsor of the MSA British Touring Car Championship from 2010, in a new four-year agreement with the UK’s premier motor racing series.

Its sister company, HiQ – title sponsor for the past two seasons – will put its name to the BTCC’s coveted Teams’ Championship also through to the end of 2013 at least.

This latest arrangement will extend the BTCC’s relationship with the Goodyear-Dunlop group to 11 successive years.

Dunlop has been the BTCC’s exclusive tyre supplier since 2003 and became title sponsor in 2005, with the nationwide chain of HiQ fast-fit centres taking over for 2008 and 2009. Dunlop’s return as the BTCC’s title sponsor is actually a year ahead of schedule after HiQ’s association with the championship proved even more effective than anticipated in helping it re-profile its network across the UK. Its four-year commitment to sponsoring the Teams’ Championship will now enable it to continue to build on those results.

Group managing director Mark Brickhill said: “We re-launched the HiQ network in 2008 with the signing of new franchise stores, a new impactful visual identity and a plan to set new standards of service in the fast-fit market. Our BTCC sponsorship has helped achieve these goals and the extension of our investment to include the HiQ Teams' Championship for four years will help drive our ambitions for the network in the tyre fitting and servicing market.”