Having failed by the slenderest of margins to beat her chief male rival in endurance racing last season, the UK's leading female sports car driver, Sarah Reader, has opted to join forces with him for 2009.

Reader's TFL Racing team will welcome multiple champion Graham Fennymore to the squad for the opening round of the SPEED Racing Series at the Anglesey circuit on Saturday.

They will share driving duties in the latest 2.0-litre Juno prototype and will start the season as a favourite for title honours in the Le Mans-style series.

Stratford-upon-Avon-based Sarah, 26, tied on points with Fennymore, of Weston-on-the-Green at the end of the 2008 season but Fennymore won the title on a tie-break.

"He had two second-place finishes to our one," said Reader, "which was a horrible way to lose the championship. But we're over that now and, working on the principle that if we can't beat him then we had better join him, we are really looking forward to working with Graham and benefiting from his massive experience and professionalism.

"His reputation speaks for itself and we are very lucky to have him on board."

Reader and Fennymore, 44, both have long and impressive racing CVs. Fennymore was a Formula Ford and F2000 champion in the 1990s before turning to sports cars five seasons ago. He won the Caterham Roadsport Challenge title in 2005, was Caterham Superlight Challenge Champion in 2006 and '07 and also the 2007 Caterham Eurocup title winner.

Reader cut her racing teeth at the wheel of a Caterham in the Academy starter series in 2000. She progressed through the Roadsport Challenge to the Eurocup, in which she claimed third place in the Roadsport class in 2003.

In 2005, Reader claimed her maiden pole position at the wheel of a Caterham, going on to championship fifth at the wheel of her R400.

The following season, with co-driver Olly Bull, she finished third overall in the Caterham CSR Masters, and in 2007, driving solo, claimed an impressive fourth place in the championship.

"We believe that Sarah and Graham will be a formidable combination," said TFL Racing team manager Simon Reader.

"We proved last season that we have the organisation and professionalism to claim podium results in endurance sports car races and we are looking forward now to taking race victories."

The SPEED Racing Series features seven events ranging in length from three to six hours and visiting top UK tracks as well as the Dutch circuit of Assen and Spa-Francorchamps, home of the Belgian Grand Prix. This weekend's opener is a four-hour race.