A BUSY Broad Chalke racetrack has unveiled its new sponsor.

The Gurston Down Hillclimb Championship is being backed by New Forest Skoda dealer Meadens, owned by the Sexton family, as they replace Gates of Brockenhurst after 18 years.

Jonathan Gates has announced that he has relinquished his Peugeot dealership and has sold the Sway Road business to his associate, friend and hillclimb driving partner Peter Sexton.

Sexton is set to move his Skoda dealership from nearby Sway to the larger Brockenhurst premises.

Gates is retaining the filling station and a specialist used car lot on the Brockenhurst site to retain his business interests in the town, and in addition is to pursue other new business challenges.

The changes mean that Gates of Brockenhurst will be ending their long-time sponsorship of the Gurston Championship, which began in 1997, although they will continue as a class sponsor.

Sexton has confirmed that Meadens, one of the UK’s most successful Skoda dealers, is to take over the sponsorship for the balance of 2015, and the series will therefore become known as the Meadens Skoda Gurston Down Hillclimb Championship.

Meadens will also provide the Skoda Octavia RS course car, first seen at the May British Hillclimb Championship event, for the balance of the season.

Chairman of the BARC (SW Centre), the organisers at Gurston Down, Doug Auld said: "It goes without saying that everyone at Gurston owes immense thanks to Jonathan Gates, his late father and his family for all the support they have shown in the past 18 or more years and we are very pleased that he will still be sponsoring a class for the remainder of this and into next season."

For the latest track information, see gurstondown.org.