Mike Robinson is fast becoming a popular dinner guest among friends after a summer spent collecting champagne.

And at the rate the 32-year-old is going it will not be long before more invitations are dropping through the letter box.

Robinson claimed the Michelin Clio Cup Race Series drivers’ championship crown last month claiming eight race wins along the way as he collected the first title of a career that started in endurance karting 12 years ago.

The Total Control Racing driver celebrated this week by announcing a minimum three-year deal with Optimum Motorsport to drive a Ginetta G55 GT4 machine – with team-mate Graham Johnson – in the British GT Championship next year.

After a 2014 spent growing accustomed to life in the fast lane he is hoping the corks will be popping once again in 2015 and beyond.

And having teamed up with an outfit that won the GT4 title in 2013, there is every chance Robinson will become even more popular.

“We think Optimum are about as close to a works Ginetta team as you can get,” he said.

“We've also put a deal together with Ginetta that sees us commit to British GT for at least three years and, we assume, well beyond.

“We could have stayed with Total Control – who have been brilliant – but Optimum have all the kit we need already.

“We ultimately hope to take the Leeds-based team back onto the GT3 grid full time, but for now it's about going after GT4 race podiums, wins and, hopefully, the championship.

“Unusually for motorsport, we already have everything in place now – we even took delivery of the car last week – so with any luck we will be competitive straight away.

He added: "To be honest we don’t really drink the champagne, but it’s pretty handy having a lot of it in the fridge as it means we never turn up to friends house’s without a bottle.”

Robinson was introduced to motorsport by close friend Johnson, while at university and, having caught bug, he admits his addiction has got out of control.

His journey has taken in three years on the undercard of the British Touring Car Championships in the Renault Clio Cup in 2008, 2009 and 2010, plus a stint in the Ginetta GT5 Championship in which he was runners up in 2012.

“This is my first title,” he added.

“The way we finished was very different to how we started this.

“A broken drive shaft meant we weren’t even on the grid for the first race.

“Midway through the season we made a little change to the way we prepared the car between testing and qualifying and we won five of the last six races with six consecutive pole positions.

“It was quite comfortable in the end but it did not start that way.

“It has been a fantastic season and a long one. Now it is over I just want to race again.”

Sales director Robinson is backed by his father’s Dorking-based form UKIP Media & Events Ltd, who organise and manage the Cologne-based Professional Motorsport World Expo exhibition.

And with a deal tied up for next season it is back to the day job.

“It is good for business to be involved in motorsport,” he said.

“We’re pretty quiet work wise in the summer, but in the autumn it is all go.”