THE Huntingdon based sole importer and distributor of Lifan brand Chinese motorcycles in the UK, ZingBikes, has branched out into sports sponsorship by launching ZingBikes Aprilia Racing.

ZingBikes has selected 18-year-old Blake Woulds, an emerging new star on the Thundersport GB circuit, to sponsor and promote.

Blake, who rides an Aprilia 450 in the Moto 450 competition class, will be taking part in more than 30 races during the 2011 season throughout the UK, starting with the Spring Cup at Mallory Park in March.

ZingBikes general manager Paul Hinchliffe said: “We are delighted to be able to sponsor Blake at a key point in his racing career. He is showing great promise and has already had a taste of the winner’s podium.”

Blake was specifically chosen by ZingBikes to act as an ambassador for the company at a trackside level, the Encocam company said.

“The range of motorcycles and scooters on offer from ZingBikes is aimed at the cost-conscious customer without compromising on quality or reliability. The scooter range is particularly popular with youngsters of Blake’s age, often as a first move into getting on two wheels, and it is expected that his endorsement of the brand will appeal to that group.”

To appeal to the target age-group, the ZingBikes marketing team will be promoting Blake regularly, updating race results, pictures and videos on Facebook and Twitter (both being finalised in time for the new season), and on the ZingBikes website, www.zingbikes.com.

Blake, accompanied by his father and manager Stephen Woulds, centre, is pictured wearing his Zing Aprilia Racing leathers and receiving his sponsorship cheque from Paul Hinchliffe.

He said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for a young rider such as me and I would like to thank Paul and the team for all of their support during the coming season.”

INFORMATION: ZingBikes is a division of Encocam Ltd, the Huntingdon based company with seven divisions and 115 staff. Established in January 2009, ZingBikes are the sole UK importer and distributor of Lifan motorcycles and scooters. ZingBikes can be contacted on 0845 555 1234.