The Racing Together programme has partnered with Viva Energy today as it continues to help pave the way for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth to become involved in motorsport.

The three-year partnership will see more than 130 participants undergo two days of intensive training in areas such as advanced driving, racing and wellbeing, with 10 people each year chosen to form a race team.

Viva Energy’s support will help Racing Together’s efforts to make careers in the Repco Supercars Championship achievable.

The goal of the Racing Together programme is to have 30 Indigenous Australians working in the sector within five years and 1,000 within 15 years.

Viva Energy has a long-standing connection to leading Supercars squad Dick Johnson Racing through its association with Shell.

Viva general manager of distribution supply chain Vince Neville hailed the partnership.

“The partnership between Racing Together and Viva Energy ties in closely with our vision for reconciliation as a nation where Indigenous people have equal and equitable opportunities to reach their destination,” he said.

“We hope that through our involvement in this programme, Viva Energy will be able to drive more equitable opportunities and representation in motorsports.”

Shell V-Power Racing Team chairman and CEO Ryan Story is a board member at Racing Together.

Added Racing Together chairman Garry Connelly: “We started Racing Together late last year with tentative steps, but it has flourished quickly thanks to the support of many in the motorsport and Indigenous communities.

“We have already put a car on track, run by our first group of 10 Indigenous teenage girls and boys, for two meetings in the Queensland Hyundai Excel championship.

“Racing Together is extremely grateful to commence the new partnership with Viva Energy, a leading energy company that supplies about a quarter of Australia’s fuel requirements, including Shell fuel and lubricants.

“It will enable a significant boost to our activities. Viva Energy will help us train more than 130 young people in all aspects of motorsport participation on- and off-track, and also mentor them in important personal matters such as education, health and wellbeing and road safety.

“We’ll select a group every year to form a team comprising mechanics, drivers, strategists, managers, data specialists, logistic experts and event officials and eventually hope to award one outstanding person the prize of a place in the Ferrari Academy (Asia Pacific).”