SINGAPORE – CIMB Bank today gave motor sports a boost when it signed a sponsorship deal with 11-year-old up and coming Motor Sports Go Kart driver Daim Hishammudin Hasan.

Daim, a Singaporean national residing in Malaysia, is one of the region’s most promising junior kart racers. He has been touted as one of Southeast Asia’s leading F1 hopefuls. Daim has been widely reported on in the press and his achievements thus far include winning the 2008 Malaysian Yamaha SL Cup and Asia MicroMax 2009. Daim started karting when he was 8 years old and was racing competitively by the time he was 10.

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CHICAGO (Reuters) – NASCAR and the rest of motorsports are getting some good news as sponsorship spending by North American companies is expected to rise 2.1 percent in 2010 after the segment’s first decline in 25 years, a research firm said on Tuesday.

Spending by companies based in North American is expected to rise to $3.37 billion from $3.3 billion last year, according to IEG, a unit of advertising giant WPP Plc that tracks such budgets. That spending fell 6 percent last year.

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MUMBAI – MRF tyres have signed India’s motor racing icon Narain Karthikeyan as Racing brand ambassador. Karthikeyan was earlier sponsorsed by JK Tyres.

The sponsorship deal is said to be $1.6 million for a four year period. Karthikeyan will also have assistance by way of sponsorship for his team in competitions.

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LONDON (Reuters) – Silverstone has added the British round of the World Superbike championship, that was due to be held at Donington Park, to a 2010 calendar of events that already includes MotoGP and Formula One.

Silverstone Circuits Ltd said in a statement they had agreed a new short-term contract for the superbike race after the event’s immediate future had appeared to be in jeopardy due to Donington going into administration.

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CHICAGO (Reuters) – The head of NASCAR said on Thursday that things are not as bad for the American stock-car racing circuit as last year, when a weak economy hurt fan attendance and corporate financial backing.

“Some things are stabilizing for us in our sport,” NASCAR Chief Executive Brian France said, pointing specifically to the motor sport automakers that have cut racing-related spending.

NASCAR’s 2010 racing season kicks off on Feb. 14 with the Daytona 500 race, dubbed the sport’s Super Bowl by many analysts. Fans want to see if driver Jimmie Johnson can win his fifth consecutive Sprint Series title and will watch with interest as IndyCar driver Danica Patrick races part-time in NASCAR’s junior Nationwide Series.

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LONDON (Reuters) – SEAT will still be a strong presence in the World Touring Cars Championship (WTCC) this season despite announcing their departure as a works team, BMW’s former world champion Andy Priaulx said on Friday.

SEAT said on Wednesday they were withdrawing to focus on other series. However privately-entered SEAT cars were expected to continue.

“I hear that (Italy’s reigning champion Gabriele) Tarquini might be coming back with a SEAT diesel,” Briton Priaulx told the Autosport International show in Birmingham, England.

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KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Organisers of the Malaysian MotoGP, Moto2 and 125cc races are to agree a five-year extension to continue hosting the event and will secure a place for a local rider to compete in the championship until 2015.

The deal to be signed with rights holders Dorna, subject to ministry approval, is a further boost for the sport in Malaysia, with the expected announcement of a team from the Southeast Asian country competing in the 125cc class.

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CHICAGO (Reuters) – NASCAR plans to roll out up to 500 branded campgrounds in the United States in a move to build consumer loyalty to the U.S. auto racing circuit and attract a new generation of fans.

The sports organization, known for its three stock car and pickup truck racing series, said on Friday it is teaming with Morgan RV Resorts and real estate investor and developer Silver Companies to open 13 locations this spring. The goal is to expand over the next decade.

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PLANO, Texas and INDIANAPOLIS, (PRNewswire) – Venom Energy drink announced today it has signed a multi-year sponsorship with Andretti Autosport to continue as primary sponsor of the #26 car driven by Marco Andretti. Venom Energy will activate the partnership with in-store merchandising, consumer sweepstakes and retail appearances.

“We are excited to be back on board with Marco Andretti and Andretti Autosport,” said Russ Schleiden, brand manager of Venom Energy. “We look forward to bringing the Venom Energy drink and Marco Andretti partnership to life for our fans on the track as well as at retail.”

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MILAN (Reuters) – Aprilia will not enter bikes in next year’s new Moto2 championship because of the enforced use of Honda engines, the firm’s parent company said on Tuesday.

Moto2, a 600cc class, will replace the 250cc category next season as the accompanying smaller series for MotoGP.

In an effort to cut costs after the global recession, all bikes will have to use Honda engines and Dunlop tyres.

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