Vertu Motors announce new sports sponsorships (video)

Vertu Motors has agreed a 12-month partnership with Somerset Country Cricket Club.

The motor retailer recently expanded its presence in the Southwest of England with the acquisition of 28 sales outlets from Helston Garages Group.

Vertu Motors branding will feature on the sleeve of the Club’s LV= Insurance County Championship and One-Day Cup playing shirts.

The AM100 PLC will also become a One-Day Cup Big Screen Boundary Partner and T20 Live Stream Partner, giving the retailer visibility at the Cooper Associates County Ground.

Robert Forrester, chief executive of Vertu Motors, said: “I am delighted to add Somerset County Cricket Club to our portfolio of sports partnerships for our Vertu Motors brand.

“The Group now has a major presence across the Southwest since we acquired the Helston Garages Group dealerships, and this is a fantastic way of establishing our brand, whilst also supporting a well-loved local institution and the communities around it.

“Somerset County Cricket Club has been home to some of the sport’s greatest players, including Lord Ian Botham, Sir Viv Richards, Marcus Trescothick and ‘Big Bird’ Joel Garner. This is an excellent Club, to which we’re all proud to be associated with; I am very much excited for the upcoming season and to be involved with the Club in all forms of the game.”

The Vertu Motors retail brand holds partnerships across sport including Gallagher Premiership Rugby team Exeter Chiefs, Sunderland Association Football Club, Middlesbrough Football Club, Burnley Football Club, Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club, Yorkshire County Cricket Club, as well as the Newcastle Eagles basketball team, and naming rights for the Eagles' Vertu Motors Arena in Newcastle.

Caroline Herbert, commercial director at Somerset Cricket Club, said: “As part of our partnership, Vertu Motors will be utilising all our channels to bring their brand to life and to enhance our fans’ experience. Vertu Motors is a very welcome addition to the Somerset Family.”

Macklin Motors will also be backing Ronan Pearson who has been confirmed by Excelr8 Motorsport as the final member of its line-up for the 2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) season.

The 21-year-old from Kelty will make the move into touring cars for the first time on the back of a 2022 campaign, where he took three race wins to spearhead Excelr8’s championship assault in the BTCC supporting MINI CHALLENGE series.

Pearson will join forces with defending champion Tom Ingram, multiple race winner Tom Chilton and fellow series rookie Nick Halstead in one of Excelr8’s Hyundai i30 Fastback Ns, making him the first member of Excelr8’s BTCC Young Driver Development Programme to graduate into a BTCC race seat.

The agreement will see Macklin Motors take pride of place on Ronan’s Hyundai, with talks ongoing with several other Scottish sponsors keen to back the youngster as he bids to follow in the footsteps of countrymen John Cleland, Gordon Shedden and Rory Butcher.

Forrester: “Our partnership with Excelr8 Motorsport is something that the Group is very proud of. It was an easy decision for our Scottish brand, Macklin Motors, to support Ronan, who is a proud Scot, and a fantastic driver.

“We are all looking forward to the race season beginning and Tom, Ronan, Tom and Nick doing us proud with many podium finishes!”

Pearson’s BTCC debut will take place at Donnington Park in late April, with the event at Knockhill scheduled for the weekend of August 12-13.

Justina Williams, Excelr8 Motorsport team owner, said: “Although it is a big step up, we have no doubt that Ronan is ready, and are confident that - with the support of Macklin Motors - he will show his talent in the Hyundai during the year ahead."