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Two teams from the Repco Supercars Championship and mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship have revealed dual liveries for the Merlin Darwin Triple Crown.
The respective Penrite-backed outfits, Grove Racing and ER Motorsports, will sport similar liveries at what is the inaugural Supercars Indigenous Round at Hidden Valley Raceway.
The design is the work of Darwin-born artist Lorraine Kabbindi White in collaboration with Grove Racing partner Melbourne Indigenous Transition School (MITS)
“The story depicted within the livery is based on ‘The First Bees’ and the ‘Freshwater Mermaids’ artworks created by Kabbindi,” Grove Racing wrote.
“The three different colours each represent the bees. Kubbulak, Kardderre and Nabiwu. Kubbulak belongs to the mardku moiety, and Kardderre and Nabiwu belong to Ngarradjku moiety. The artwork captures their first flight out of their human bodies.
“To make her two separate artworks come to life across both our Supercars and Australian Superbike complex body panels the team utilised the talents of Peter Hughes and Tim Pattinson.
“Kabbindi used natural pigments all sourced from her family’s Mok Clan – Ankung Djang (Sugar bag dreaming) estate on the upper Liverpool River, Arnhem Land, NT.”
Grove Racing drivers David Reynolds and Lee Holdsworth were joined by Troy Herfoss to visit Melbourne Indigenous Transition School students last week.
Former students visited the Grove Racing workshop in Braeside to get up close and personal with the team’s Ford Mustang Supercars pair and Honda Superbike.
The forthcoming event in Darwin is of particular significance for Reynolds, whose partner Tahan Lew-Fatt is of Aboriginal descent.
“I love the Indigenous Round concept,” said Reynolds.
“We’re celebrating the oldest living culture in the world which is very cool.
“My partner has a rich Indigenous heritage and is from Darwin so this round has a special significance for me.
“It was also good to give the MITS students a look an insight into our world at the workshop.
“I can’t wait to get on track at Darwin.”
The Merlin Darwin Triple Crown at Hidden Valey Raceway takes place across June 17-19.
