Here at First Response Finance, our business thrives on the long-term relationships we’ve built with our dealer partners.

Our dealer managers work hard to build these relationships, gaining a deep understanding of our dealers’ needs.

This knowledge enables us to deliver the award-winning service we’re known for in the industry.

So, when we reach out to our dealer partners, it’s not just about asking for their business; we care about their success and want to support them in any way we can.

One of our valued partners, Eden Car Sales, is a close-knit, family-run dealership in Northern Ireland that we’ve had the pleasure of working with for many years.

About a year ago, their dealer manager Alesha had a conversation with Charlie Smiley, the owner of the dealership.

During their discussions, he mentioned that his son Chris was in search of sponsorship.

Intrigued by the opportunity, Alesha contacted our marketing team about First Response Finance supporting Chris Smiley and his racing career.

Chris works at Eden Car Sales, but when he isn’t busy selling cars, he’s out on the track or sharpening his skills in the simulator.

With his impressive racing background, including participation in the British Touring Car Championship and the TCR-UK Touring Car Championship series, Chris is a force to be reckoned with!

In 2022, he clinched the TCR-UK championship and is defending his title in the current 2023 season.

Sponsoring Chris seemed like a perfect fit for us.

It wasn’t until later that we found out that he would be racing the Honda Civic FL5 – a ground-breaking one-of-a-kind prototype for the 2023 season, which is an amazing bonus.

Our logo and branding are featured on Chris’s car, overalls, helmet and the team’s garage.

We are quite hands-on, too – we attended the TCR-UK pre-season media day at Donington Park, we were at Snetterton Circuit for the season opener and then at Croft Circuit for the last race.

We will be attending every race, and many members of our staff will also be there to support him.

This sponsorship has required significant time and effort.

We’ve meticulously planned and engaged in numerous meetings and calls to ensure that everything aligns perfectly.

Our confidence in this collaboration stems from the fact that TCR is now associated with renowned sports channels such as FreeSports, BT, Sky and Virgin.

With TCR UK TV reaching 120 million homes across the UK, Europe and the USA, the exposure for our brand is immense and we couldn’t be more excited.

If you’re attending any of the races, keep an eye out for Chris and members of our team who will be cheering him on.

Stay tuned for more exciting updates and developments as we navigate this thrilling journey together.

This column appears in the current edition of Car Dealer – issue 184 – along with news, views, reviews, interviews and much more! Read and download it for FREE here!