Morris Lubricants steps up a gear by sponsoring major international rally series

British company Morris Lubricants is stepping up its involvement in the motorsport scene by becoming the official lubricant sponsor for the 12 participating cars in this season’s Drive DMACK Fiesta Trophy.

The Shrewsbury-based lubricants specialist already had a stake in the competition as sponsor and partner of talented Welsh driver Tom Cave, the only British entry in the contest, which began with Rally Portugal last weekend.

The Drive DMACK Fiesta Trophy will take Cave and his 11 international rivals to five European rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship as part of the M-Sport-run one-make series. The fabulous prize awaiting the overall winner is a fully-paid, seven-event programme in an M-Sport Ford Fiesta R5 in the 2015 WRC2 series.

The series is a perfect fit for Morris Lubricants, who supported Cave’s campaign in the British Rally Championship and Wales Rally GB in 2013 and has fully committed to supporting his 2014 campaign as well. The move will see the Morris Lubricants brand promoted internationally with Cave for the first time.

After receiving 24 registrations from across the globe, the organisers’ final selection has given the series a mix of raw talent, close competition and real worldwide interest.

The list sees drivers from Europe, the Middle East, Russia and North America. The high calibre talent includes the likes of Yeray Lemes, Jose Suarez and Sander Parn, who finished second, third and fourth in last year’s FIA Junior World Rally Championship.

They are joined by French ace Quentin Gilbert, Mid Wales-based Cave, who stunned spectators with fastest stage times on last year’s Wales Rally GB, and Finn Max Vatanen, son of the legendary 1981 world rally champion, Ari Vatanen.

The other drivers are Nicholas Amiouni, 24, from Lebanon, Ghislain De Mevius, 25 from Belgium, Szymon Kornicki, 31, from Poland, Allan Popov, 27, from Russia, Nils Solans, 21, from Spain and Leo Urlichich, 28, from Canada.

The over-subscribed contest has been pitched as a cost-effective entry level to world rallying and gives crews the opportunity to battle it out on both gravel and asphalt rounds using identical M-Sport prepared Ford Fiesta R2s on DMACK tyres.

As official lubricants sponsor, Morris Lubricants will supply the 12 teams with Morris X-RPM Competition 10w-60 engine oil, Morris Lodexol XFS 80W-140 gear oil and Morris DOT 4 brake fluid.

Andrew Goddard, Morris Lubricants’ managing director, said “We believe the Drive DMACK Fiesta Trophy series provides the perfect platform at the pinnacle of motorsport to showcase the high performance capabilities of our portfolio of products.

“By sponsoring Tom and becoming the official lubricants sponsor for the series, we are stepping up a gear in creating substantial awareness of the company’s brand and products in international markets.”

Morris Lubricants is also a key sponsor of reigning Jack Sears Trophy champion Lea Wood who is graduating to a Toyota Avensis NGTC car in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship in 2014 with the newly formed Houseman Racing team.

Wood dominated the category for S2000 cars last season, taking 18 victories from 30 races and the Hereford driver will get a chance to defend his crown while also fighting for overall honours.

Showing its support for motorsport at grass roots level, Morris Lubricants is also sponsoring the BTRDA’s highly competitive 1400 Rally Championship this season.