When DSC arrives at any circuit for a major race meeting almost the first thing we do is to take a walk down through the paddock and pit lane to look out for anything new and noteworthy to report.
There was no shortage of that this morning at the start of the 2016 FIA WEC with new cars, and new liveries aplenty on display.
Missed on the first sweep but spotted this afternoon was a significant change to the #42 Strakka Racing Gibson Nissan.
For last year’s FIA WEC the car featured a stylised Union Jack on the car’s dorsal fin and that design detail is still there, but now on the wing endplates, and there was a new but familiar name on the side pods too.
New partnerships for the team with global technology company Dell and cloud accounting software company Xero are now reflected on the car, both are multi-year deals that will also be reflected on the British team’s Formula V8 3.5 and new R.S.01 race cars too.
But it does not stop with branding, Strakka will act as a test bed for trialling new Dell technologies, whilst the complex business of running a multi-programme advnced tech race team has moved its financial recording and transactions to Xero’s platform.
Both Xero and Dell will benefit from business to business activities in Strakka racing hospitality at a number of race events throughout the year.
“This is the beginning of an exciting relationship and Dell is looking forward to working with Strakka Racing and being part of the 2016 motorsport season,” says Richard St Clair-Quentin, leader sponsorship marketing, Dell.
“Strakka Racing offers a great platform to demonstrate the array of technologies Dell now leads the World in. We can’t wait to start working alongside the team and its partners.”
“Strakka Racing is genuinely delighted to have been selected by both Dell and Xero,” says team founder Nick Leventis.
“This is a partnership that will extend way beyond stickers on our cars. Strakka is increasingly an incubator for new technologies and processes and one of the attractions of working with us is our willingness to embrace and test concepts in the harsh motorsport environment. We also pride ourselves on being an accessible team and Strakka will be providing unprecedented access to Dell and Xero’s guests at race events around the world. Strakka is also very privileged to have a passionate and loyal global fan base that supports us and our partners wherever we race and that also appealed to both organisations.”
The announcement follows the recently confirmed partnership with premium German oil manufacturer RAVENOL and an extension of the relationship with additive manufacturing leaders Stratasys.
“Every partner is helping us to develop and expand,” adds Strakka Racing’s team principal Dan Walmsley.
“As we progress from being a race team to a more sustainable motorsports business, Dell and Xero will bring their expertise to enable us to specify and implement appropriate systems to improve our processes and manage that growth. Dell is among the most recognised and respected technology brands in the world. Equally, Xero is already changing the game for small businesses, with over 600,000 subscribers in more than 180 countries, by offering real-time visibility of their financial position in a way that’s simple, smart and secure. We’re hoping its involvement in our global championships will support its growth, so that millions more small businesses can thrive.”
