Chris Smiley announces a new sponsor: Magneti Marelli Checkstar

Jul 17, 2023News

For the 2023 TCR UK season Chris Smiley will have a new sponsor: Magneti Marelli Checkstar, a network of workshops and body shops.

During the whole season the exclusive network of the Magneti Marelli Parts & Services, the global company and leader in the independent aftermarket distributes spare parts, will be visible on Chris Smiley’s car.

Chris Smiley

Chris Smiley, the driver of the Restart Racing Team, powered the TCR UK championship title in its first year of competition and this year he is having a key role with the new Honda Civic Type R.

Smiley has been selected after his global debut at Snetterton, which took place at the end of April, as the first driver in the world to race the brand-new touring car.

Magneti Marelli Parts & Services, which recently had a showcase event at the Automechanika Birmingham show (the leading trade exhibition show for the automotive market in the UK) is enthusiast to work with the championship-winning driver.

The brand Magneti Marelli Checkstar will be exposed on the front and on the side of the Civic Type Rs.

Chris Smiley Restart Racing 2023

Chris Smiley, #1 Restart Racing Honda Civic Type R FL5 TCR

It’s a privilege to be working with such a high-quality array of sponsors this year, and there’s no question that to have Magneti Marelli Checkstar onboard with us this season, since they’re the main player in the automotive Aftermarket business is a feather in our cap.

Images

Chris Smiley Restart Racing
Chris Smiley
Chris Smiley
Chris Smiley

Photo credit Phil Laughton Photography.

About

Restart Racing

Restart Racing has prepared, raced, and won at some of the most famous race circuits in the world. The team has built up a wealth of experience in the motorsport industry and made it its business to consistently build and run race-winning cars.

Over the years the team has run cars by manufacturers such as Honda, TVR, BMW, Chevrolet, Vauxhall, Porsche, Hyundai and Volkswagen in the BTCC, GT3 sports car series, and Hot Rods.

In 2022, our Essex-based professional team competed in the hard-fought TCR UK Touring Car Championship with Chris Smiley at the wheel, pitted against a total of 16 other teams. Having collected our race car from Honda’s specialist preparation company in Italy only days before the start of the season, Chris went on to secure pole position and win the first race at Oulton Park, and would go on to win the championship at Snetterton at the final round.

It turned out to be a great season of racing at some of the UK’s premier circuits, culminating in the team being chosen to represent the UK at the prestigious FIA Motorsport Games at the Paul Ricard circuit in France, where Chris Smiley finished in eighth position against competitors from around the world.

 

First Response Finance

Founded in 1998, First Response Finance is a leading UK vehicle finance company, with offices in Nottingham, Leigh, and Glasgow. Offering Hire Purchase for cars, vans and motorbikes.

The company philosophy is ‘People, Service, Profit’, which is at the core of everything they do. The company is a people centric business with a team of over 300 highly skilled employees, sharing the same values, so they can deliver the best possible service to their customers.

First Response Finance provide credit solutions for its customers, while creating an extremely positive and trust-based working environment for its employees.

Their unique way of thinking and customer service has seen First Response Finance rated (4.9/5) as the UK’s number one motor finance lender on the Review Centre website.

First Response Finance are also highly rated (4.9/5) by its clients for “Customer Experience” on the feefo reviews website.

TCR UK

Launched in 2018, the TCR UK championship is one of the UK’s most exciting new categories. Utilising the highly-successful TCR technical regulations, of which more than 1,000 cars have been built, the TCR UK championship is going from strength-to-strength, with free-to-air online broadcasting, manufacturer-supported customer racing programmes, and most of all, thrilling, door-to-door, classic touring car racing.

 

Proudly supported by

Our Partners

Exswift Home Heating Oil
Truck Parts Specialist
Titanic Distillers
First Response Finance
Third Millenium
S2M Profit Recovery
Cranswick Foods
Jason Price Motorsport Design Consultant
1066 Competitions

Technical Partners

JAS Motorsport
rab 40
Torq Racewear
Arai Helmet
Infinity Wax
Ravenol
Harlequin Teamwear