Castrol has gone retro for the Sandown 500 as Thomas Randle’s Ford Mustang will feature an iconic livery from one of the globe’s most popular racing games.
Gran Turismo was first released in the mid-1990s providing many memorable road and racing models able to be sampled on the ‘Real Driving Simulator’.
One of these is the legendary All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship winning Toyota Supra GT500 campaigned by the factory team TOM’s.
Driven by Pedro de la Rosa and Michael Krumm.to the 1997 crown, it was Toyota’s first victory in what is now SuperGT, while also breaking the Nissan domination even if McLaren was the reigning champion.
Castrol and Toyota enjoyed a successful partnership during the 1990s not only in Japan, but also in the World Rally Championship appearing in the same scheme as well as the British Touring Car Championship.
The same livery was fielded by NASCAR squad RFK Racing for Brad Keselowski for its ’Throwback Weekend’ at Darlington Raceway where it took the win.
It has also been victorious in the British Rally Championship with the MEM Rally Team.
Randle will be hoping the livery has the magic touch for he and co-driver Tyler Everingham at Sandown. The Victorian is eighth in the title race after scoring pole at the last round at Symmons Plains as 2024 is proving a breakout season.
“We are super proud to be unveiling this classic Castrol livery on our Ford Mustang for the Sandown 500 this weekend,” said Randle.
“This year marks 125 years of Castrol globally so we thought it was only fitting to run one of the most famous Castrol liveries of all time. Like a lot of people, I have fond memories of playing Gran Turismo on PlayStation growing up, and the Castrol TOM’s livery is one of the first cars I think of when I think of the game.”
“It’s pretty exciting to see Castrol and Tickford bringing it to life on my Ford Mustang.
“The design looked amazing on Brad Keselowski’s Ford Mustang NASCAR this year, and I reckon it looks just as good on the Tickford Mustang Supercar. Hopefully Tyler and I can replicate his race winning performance for Castrol and the Tickford fans.
“The Sandown 500 is such an important event of the year. One race, 500 kilometres and 300 points on offer.
“There’s a lot that can go wrong and you need a lot to go right to win that race.
“Last time out at Symmons Plains, we were super quick. We got a pole on Sunday. Unfortunately, I didn’t execute in the race. There was probably a podium that went begging there, but it’s really encouraging and promising that we’ve got such great speed at the moment.”
Castrol celebrates 125 years in 2024 and is excited to reveal an eye-catching retro livery.
“Castrol is proud to continue its 125 year celebrations with a timeless livery that celebrates Castrol’s sustained involvement and success in motorsport competition Globally,” said Jan Willink, Brand and Product Manager, Castrol Australia and New Zealand.
“Whether fans of motorsport, fans of gaming, or fans of both, the Castrol TOM’s livery is one that is instantly recognisable across so many generations.
“With Castrol celebrating 125 years Globally, we felt that this was the perfect opportunity to reflect on an iconic part of history, while also looking forward by reimagining it on the Gen3 Castrol Racing Tickford Mustang. We certainly hope fans love the look as much as we do!
“It has been terrific to see Tom, Cam and the whole Tickford team consistently unlocking the edge of performance in recent months, and there’s no better time to be coming into form with the biggest races of the year ahead of us.”
Last taking a victory in 1999, the Castrol TOM’s association ended with the GT500 Teams’ Championship.
The Castrol Tom’s Supra remains a hallmark prize in the Gran Turismo series right up to this current day, but its a lasting memory for many from the original game.