VAN hire company Northgate is supplying a fleet of vehicles to Britain’s largest motorsport event.

The Darlington-based firm is providing six Mercedes-Benz support vehicles for the 2009 British Superbike Championship, a 12-race event which takes place at circuits including Brands Hatch, Donington Park and Silverstone.

The fleet of Sprinter vans, complete with branding for Northgate’s Norflex division, is being used to transport the British Superbike Championship’s extensive armoury of trackside equipment, signage and medical equipment.

At each of the 12 events, the vans are also on standby to provide trackside recovery for the riders and are used to transport safety teams and equipment to their trackside locations.

Northgate, the UK’s largest vehicle rental business, operates a fleet of 60,000 vehicles from more than 75 depots nationwide.

The British Superbike Championship takes place in front of a trackside crowd of 350,000 spectators, and a worldwide television audience of millions.

Ross Clarkson, Northgate’s marketing director, said: “The British Superbike Championship has a massive following across the country.

“The popularity of the sport provides a tremendous opportunity for us to take the Northgate brand to all parts of the UK.”