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Team 18 has acquired a brand-new transporter ahead of the 2021 Supercars season to haul the Irwin and DeWalt Racing Holden ZB Commodores.
The Melbourne-based outfit has unveiled its Australian-made Kenworth T909 prime mover which will get the cars and equipment to each of the rounds and star in the truck parades.
Powered by a 15 litre Cummins X15 engine, the Kenworth T909 is the flagship model of the company’s truck range.
It comes with distinctive features, including stainless tank trims, 6” straight-cut stacks, extra roof lights, and a custom bull bar.
“It’s the biggest truck you can get, the toughest-looking truck, it’s got heritage, style, and class and it will be the envy of every team in the pit lane,” said team owner Charlie Schwerkolt.
“In a race team image is everything. We take the presentation of our team very seriously as it reflects back on our drivers, our crew, our fans, and our wider sponsor group.
“We transport the cars all over Australia through some of the harshest conditions in the world, so it’s critical to have a reliable truck that can haul the load well and deliver our equipment to the next event on time, every time.
“We have over a million dollars’ worth of cars, plus another half a million dollars of spares and equipment to keep the team on track.
“Whether we’re going between Darwin and Townsville or across the Nullarbor Plain to Perth, reliability, performance, and comfort is everything.”
Schwerkolt has more than 20 Kenworth trucks operating across his Waverley Forklifts transport fleet, with the new race team hauler being welcomed in on Saturday after Schwerkolt himself drove it off the production line.
“I’ve had a long and successful association with Kenworth for many years as a sponsor of Team 18 and as a provider of trucks for my Waverley Forklifts group,” explained Schwerkolt.
“I was so proud to have the opportunity to drive it off the production line at Kenworth’s manufacturing plant in Bayswater and take it to their dealership at the Hallam Truck Centre for the final touches.”
Kenworth Australia is the official heavy vehicle supplier for Supercars, with the pair celebrating 20-years of their partnership in 2020.
Team 18 truck driver Mark Nelson will drive the T909 prime mover with the squad’s B-double trailer more than 70,000km across Australia this year between the scheduled 13 rounds.
The truck will make its first official trip of the season to Mount Panorama this week ahead of the Supercars curtain-raiser.
