Ignition specialist NGK played host to two FIA World Rally Championship icons when it exhibited at the Autosport International show at Birmingham’s NEC earlier this month.

Current World Rally Championship holders Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia visited the company’s stand and signed autographs and posed for pictures with fans. NGK Spark Plugs is a partner of the duo’s M-Sport Ford World Rally Team whose EcoBoost-powered Ford Fiesta WRC cars are fitted with NGK spark plugs and NTK Lambda sensors.

The five-time World Champions have been busy testing in readiness for the 2018 WRC season which gets underway at the Rallye Monte-Carlo and said they will be going all out to defend their title in 2018 as well as helping M-Sport retain the manufacturers’ championship. Sébastien commented, “Everyone is working hard in preparation for the new season. It will be difficult as there are a lot of good teams with strong drivers who we will be competing against, but obviously we will be trying our best.” He added, “I know the NGK brand well and know they are one of the partners who helped make the car really reliable last season and they are working together with us again this season.”

Also driving for M-Sport next season will be Elfyn Evans, who with Daniel Barritt secured a maiden victory at Dayinsure Wales Rally GB last season, and who also visited the NGK stand. Other visitors included Teemu Suninen and Mikko Markkula who will take to the wheel of the third M-Sport Fiesta.

The company is also a big supporter of women who compete in motorsport this was reflected with visits by ‘Queen of the bikers’ Maria Costello MBE and Charlie Martin who has just announced she is to drive for the Richardson Racing team in the Ginetta GT5 Challenge this season.

Mark Hallam, Marketing Manager, NGK Spark Plugs said, “Autosport International gives us the opportunity to meet up with a number of motorsport competitors who we support and also to engage with enthusiasts of all forms of motorsport who follow the teams and drivers we support and whose own vehicles are invariably fitted with our spark plugs, glow plugs and NTK sensors.”

NGK’s stand also featured Lee Cohen's 1700hp Ford Zephyr drag car. The 16ft long vehicle, which is based on a 1955 model and fitted with NGK spark plugs, runs in the super pro class and has run a best time of 6.7 seconds at 203mph. Visitors also competed on a ‘Game Pod’ racing simulator on each day of the show when they had the chance of winning a remote-controlled Ferrari 458 model car.