BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 stunned the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship paddock at Silverstone after debuting a new and innovative digital garage during the penultimate meeting of the 2023 season.
The new initiative was introduced to celebrate an extension of the partnership with award-winning motor retailer Bristol Street Motors, part of the wider Vertu Motors Group, which has been a partner of the EXCELR8 Motorsport team for a number of seasons, and has held the role of title sponsor for the last two years.
On-track, the partnership has been an undoubted success, with the BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 team securing top honours in the title race last season with Tom Ingram – ensuring a maiden championship for both driver and team.
This season has seen Bristol Street Motors introduce a new element to the partnership with ‘The Street’ becoming a trackside feature at events across the season so far.
Fans have been able to #MeetAtTheStreet throughout the year to show their skills on an FPZERO simulator, take photos alongside a genuine BTCC trophy, meet both the four BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 drivers and those from the supporting Vertu Motors MINI CHALLENGE, as well as discovering the latest news and offers from the Bristol Street Motors camp.
A major draw for fans has been the fact that #MeetAtTheStreet makes use of the innovative blox system, an experiential event and activation space complete with a large-format digital screen that can be used in a variety of environments.
Utilising the blox system for The Street allows for events taking place on the stand across the weekend to be streamed to the watching crowds, alongside all the on-track action during each of the three BTCC races.
Trackside visitors are even able to do battle against each other on unique games played directly from their mobile phones and displayed on the screen.
BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 utilised the innovative technology available to reveal the unique digital garage that wowed BTCC fans and rival teams alike across the Silverstone weekend. Rather than being decked out in traditional boards, the BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 garage was instead surrounded by more than 100 square metres of bespoke, floor to ceiling LED screens; to create an immersive experience for guests unlike anything seen in a motorsport paddock before.
Over the course of the weekend, the digital garage was used to fully showcase the team and its various partners, which included forming the backdrop for the signing of a new extension of its successful engine programme with Swindon Powertrain.
Guests were able to keep up to date with track action through live timing, which was displayed on the screens, whilst the team was even able to keep up to speed on the latest round of the F1 season early on Sunday morning whilst preparing for race day when Max Verstappen’s latest race win was streamed directly onto the garage boards.
“As a team, we have always taken a huge amount of pride in our presentation, as we are aware that good presentation is vitally important for all of the commercial partners who make it possible for us to go racing,” Team Owner, Justina Williams said.
“The idea of making the garage digital at Silverstone was something that has never been done before…
“While we expected it to be something of a talking point when the doors were opened and people had the chance to see it for the first time, I don’t think we ever expected it to have the wow factor that it did with everyone who came into the garage across the weekend – and those who were looking on from outside.
“Usually you’d expect rival teams to want to know what you are doing with the car but at Silverstone, they wanted to know all about the garage and how it operated, and when series boss Alan Gow is impressed by what he sees, you know you’ve done something special!”
