2009 Toyota Sprint Series champion Jonny Milner’s title defence got off to a good start with a convincing win at Rockingham last weekend.

Yorkshireman Milner had kept the identity of his 2010 sprint car firmly under wraps and fans were not disappointed when he unveiled a stunning 700 BHP Toyota Celica GT4 at the first round of the 2010 championships at Rockingham Motor Speedway track.

Milner won the A1 series with a best time of 79.63 seconds for the challenging 1.3 mile course and was delighted with the car’s performance. “Not only did the car turn heads with its wide, low slung looks and extreme rearward seating position, but it had the performance to match” said Jonny.

“The car was fantastic.  It reached speeds of over 150mph on the straight and I was amazed with the corner speed that it could carry.  I never found the car’s limit, which is encouraging for the rest of the series.  This car has taken the Sprint Series into a new zone and I can’t wait for the next round at Barkston Heath on 4th April.”

The winning car, supported by Merlin International and Anglo American Oil Company Ltd, is powered by Sunoco Race Fuels GT Plus. 

In addition to Jonny’s success, the Merlin Preparations team was delighted to see its first customer car take third place overall.  Duncan McMath drove the Merlin built Toyota Celica GT4 ST205 to a podium place at his first attempt with a time of 88.08 seconds.

Jonny’s success in the 2009 Sprint Series encouraged him to resume his rallying career for the first time since his back to back national championship wins in 2002/3. He finished sixth in the first round of the 2010 MSA National Gravel Rally Championships in Bournemouth and will be back in rallying action on 23rd April in Cumbria.

Merlin International is one of the associated sponsors of the 2010 Toyota Sprint Series.