Artic is pleased to announce that we have re-signed to sponsor the RAF F2 sidecar racing team for a second season and to continue our link with the RAF Careers in STEM initiative.

The agreement brings together the RAF Careers in STEM team to co-promote with Artic the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines so needed by young people and students within our communities if they are to prosper in an ever more technological world. Building on our successful Careers in STEM event at North Kent College last year, we have several events co-hosted by Artic and the RAF STEM team planned throughout the year, at local schools and colleges where students will have the opportunity to learn how these subjects can be used to open opportunities within the facilities management and engineering sectors as well as careers within the RAF itself as one of the triumvirate of UK armed forces. We are looking forward to promoting careers within the facilities management arena using our link with the RAF STEM Ambassadors to attract young people and students to engineering as a discipline and to potentially increase the available pot of engineers to our industry in the future.

BRITISH f2 Sidecar Championship

After a successful 2022 season where the team were crowned British F2 Cup champions, they have moved up to the elite Super class competition where they will be challenging ex Isle of Man TT winners and ex-sidecar world champions over a 13-race championship. They have also been chosen to compete in the overall British sidecar championship joining F1 type outfits in a dual class championship staged at British Superbike Championship meetings. Each race is broadcast on Eurosport so look out for the Artic liveried machine on your TV screens.

The RAF team of Rob Atkinson and Mark Middleton are based at Brize Norton airbase in Oxfordshire, famous the world over, and used as a set in the latest Bond film. Away from the excitement of Hollywood, the team get their adrenaline fix on the racetracks of the UK through a 13-race championship taking in Brands Hatch and Donnington Park before heading to Wales and Scotland later in the season. Further supporting meetings are planned on the Isle of Man, Scarborough’s Olivers Mount road track, and Brands Hatch (again) so our staff and customers will have ample opportunity to see the team in action.

Our sponsorship has enabled the team to significantly enhance the bikes preparation for the new season with new engines, a new ignition system and major chassis alterations. Once preparations had been completed, the fairing sporting new Artic and RAF livery was fitted, and the guys visited our offices in Dartford to officially launch the team – “RAF F2 sidecar team powered by Artic” with staff and directors of Artic watching on.

The season opener takes place at Artic’s home track, Brands Hatch, with the team on track for four races over the weekend of 11^th & 12^th March.