Triple Eight Race Engineering has revealed the livery and team manager for its Supercheap Auto wildcard for this year’s Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000.
Jessica Dane will head up the crew of the #888 Chevrolet Camaro which Craig Lowndes and Zane Goddard will drive at the Supercars enduros, after fellow Triple Eight co-owner Jamie Whincup filled the team manager role at Hidden Valley.
Then, Goddard competed solo, with the car carrying an Indigenous design after being unveiled in a testing livery as part of a high-profile launch in Brisbane in May.
Both he and Lowndes are back behind the wheel for pre-enduro testing today at Queensland Raceway, and they will be joined at the Ipswich circuit by the rest of the Triple Eight cars and drivers, Whincup included, tomorrow.
Car #888 now carries red, yellow, and black hues, as well as Supercheap Auto’s ‘Make It Super’ slogan emblazoned on the doors.
The livery also features the automotive parts and accessories retailer’s trade partners, plus community partners, namely the Australian Road Safety Foundation, Beyond Blue, and Heart Kids.
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Former Whincup race engineer Wes McDougal continues in that role on the Supercheap Auto machine.
Lowndes said, “I think what Supercheap Auto have done with the livery this year is fantastic.
“It was always going to be hard to beat last year’s unique livery with all the faces on the car, but what they’ve done this year is made it bigger, bolder, and hopefully more super.”
The Supercheap Auto car will have a pit bay to its own at Sandown before, ironically, it shares with Dick Johnson Racing’s wildcard entry at Mount Panorama.
“Having the Sandown 500 as a warm-up event for the Bathurst 1000 is pretty normal for me,” added Lowndes, who combined with Declan Fraser to finish eighth at Mount Panorama, the best ever result for a Great Race wildcard, last year.
“It’s really important for both Zane and I and the team to gel together and get through any of the niggling problems we want to get through before we get to Bathurst because that’s the race we want to win.
“Our upcoming test days are really important. I think the test days are invaluable and is a great chance to practice the fundamentals, especially driver changes and pit stop practices.
“We know that we’re going to be on our own at Sandown, but when we get to Bathurst, we’re going to have to share a boom, so getting all those fundamentals right is important for a great result.
“It’s been great mentoring Zane this year. I’ve known Zane for a little while now. He’s a bright, young talent and we’re looking forward to beating last year’s result.
“It makes me feel old knowing this year’s Bathurst will be my 30th start at the Great Race, but look, it’s really special.
“I think Bathurst has always been a race that I’ve always wanted to win, even from a young age. It really is a team effort, and for me, it’s important to make sure that we put a good foot forward in getting a good result.”
Goddard remarked, “I think the car looks fantastic. The darker details have really made the car look very tough, and I’m keen to see what it looks like out on track.
“Having the Sandown 500 as our next event is a great shakedown before the Great Race. Hopefully Craig and I can get into a good rhythm, get a good result there and then go to Bathurst with some wind in our sail.
“Sandown is a pretty tight racetrack with some big braking zones, so hopefully the racing will be good. Obviously it’s quite a long race, so we’ll just run our own thing until the later stages, but I’m looking forward to that feature of the race.
“Craig has been fantastic for my development, and I’m learning a lot from him. He’s a great guy to work with. He’s full of energy, full of fun, and I’m looking forward to going racing with him. That’s the important bit now and hopefully we go well.”
In Triple Eight’s #97 Red Bull Ampol Racing entry, Shane van Gisbergen and co-driver Richie Stanaway will remain in the chassis which started out as that of the wildcard, and vice versa.
Broc Feeney, who is again joined by Whincup for the enduros, continues in his original Gen3 Camaro chassis.
Pre-enduro action also takes place today at Winton, with Frenchman Kevin Estre undertaking an ‘Evaluation Day’ before he pairs up with Matt Payne in the #19 Grove Racing Mustang.
Erebus Motorsport will also hold an Evaluation Day at Winton, for Super2 drivers Jay Hanson and Cooper Murray, after abandoning that activity due to wet weather in May.
The 2023 Penrite Oil Sandown 500 begins on Friday, September 15, while Lowndes is earmarked for enduro campaigns in 2024 and 2025 also after recently signing a new contract with Triple Eight.
IMAGES: Supercheap Auto wildcard livery
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