They may be sponsored by rivals alcoholic beverage brands, but the boys from Bundaberg Red Racing and Jim Beam Racing came together yesterday to complete various promotional activities ahead of the Sucrogen Townsville 400 in two weeks time.
Fabian Coulthard (Bundaberg Red Racing) and James Courtney and Steven Johnson (Jim Beam Racing) headed straight from Darwin to Townsville to catch a preview of some of the city’s best attractions and take a sneak peek at how preparations are coming together at the Reid Park street circuit.
The drivers sailed to popular tourist spot Magnetic Island with Tropic Sail, got their speed thrills on a jet ski tour of secluded bays with Adrenaline Jet Ski Tours and cuddled the local wildlife at Bungalow Bay in between meeting local school students at Ryan Catholic College and launching an initiative with the Townsville Crocodiles basketball team.
The drivers launched a partnership with the Townsville Crocodiles National Basketball League team, which will involve holding junior basketball clinics at the event on all three days.
Coulthard said he was looking forward to returning to street track racing.
“Townsville is a circuit I really like,” he said.
“It’s a track that’s great for the drivers and for the fans as well. It’s going to be a fantastic weekend of racing.”
The temporary event infrastructure build is on schedule, with the majority of grandstand seats now in place and concrete barriers being installed around the circuit.
The Sucrogen Townsville 400 will be held on July 9-11.