Airwaves will end their sponsorship of the Motorbase Performance team in the British Touring Car Championship for the 2015 season, it has been announced, marking the end of a six-year association.
Motorbase first picked up sponsorship from the Wrigleys brands for the 2009 season, when the team ran as ‘Airwaves BMW’ with drivers Rob Collard and Jonathan Adam. Since then, the team have been a loyal sponsor to the Kent-based outfit, taking title sponsorship in five of the six seasons, with the exception of 2012 when the team ran as ‘Redstone Racing’.
Motorbase have delivered ten of their 14 race wins in the BTCC with Airwaves, and Motorbase Team Principal Dave Bartrum says he is full of gratitude to the chewing gum brand for their support.
“We have enjoyed a fantastic partnership with Wrigley’s Airwaves and I’m immensely proud to be able to look back on six years of shared success together,” said Bartrum. “To have had such a highly regarded brand on board with the team for this length of time is no mean feat, and we’re incredibly grateful to them for their support over the years.
“We’re 100% focused on ending the 2014 BTCC season on a high at our home circuit this coming weekend and to continue delivering the best possible results for our partners, and to give the Airwaves brand a fitting farewell.”
Motorbase are now searching for a new title sponsor for the 2015 season, which will be the team’s ninth in the series.
“I believe that we have one of the strongest teams in the BTCC that includes some of the championship’s biggest profiles. I feel confident that we have built a successful sponsorship model that will serve Motorbase and its new sponsors well in the future,” added Batrum.
Pamela Bower-Nye, Managing Director of Wrigley’s UK, is pleased with the TV and press exposure that the brand has received since first becoming involved in the BTCC and says that it was not an easy decision to make.
“We have had a strong partnership with the Airwaves Racing team and the decision to end the title sponsorship was a difficult one to make,” said Bower-Nye. “We’ve enjoyed six exciting years with the Motorbase Performance BTCC team, during which time we have seen tremendous success both on and off the track.
“The Airwaves brand has received excellent TV and press exposure during our partnership and we have enjoyed many fantastic opportunities to take our brand experience direct to the loyal BTCC fans and customers right across the UK. However, with recent regional scaled priorities we feel that it’s the right time to move on.
“Although we are ending our long association with Motorbase Performance and motorsport in general, we do so safe in the knowledge that we have achieved the goals that we set out with back in 2009. On behalf of Wrigley UK and Airwaves, we thank David and the team for their continued efforts and wish them every success for the future.”