Nearly half the Repco Supercars Championship field have revealed indigenous liveries for the upcoming round at Hidden Valley in a week’s time.
Similar to how football teams celebrate Australia’s forefathers, Supercars teams will do so in Darwin this year as for the first time the entire field are required to race with an indigenous influenced paint scheme.
Red Bull Ampol Racing Team released its livery this afternoon designed by students of the Hunter River Clontarf Academy. The artwork signifies the Hunter River meeting the harbour in addition to the connection the aboriginal people have to the water. Footprints along the river grow larger to signify the journey of leadership and growth by Clontarf students. Local communities are represented by the circle dots and the blue sunrise is a new beginning.
Macauley Jones will contest the Darwin event with a livery inspired by new title sponsor Kubota’s history in agricultural and construction machinery. Designed by Jedess Hudson, the Brad Jones Racing Holden ZB Commodore features Biri (Fire) Circles to represent the managing of country of which fire is an integral part of.
A volcanic-inspired livery is emblazoned on Andre Heimgartner’s R&J Batteries Racing ZB Commodore and just like teammate Jones’ entry is designed by Jedess Hudson. Featuring Lava Lines based on the Undara Lava Tubes in Northern Queensland, formed 190,000 years ago and contain the remains of the longest flow of lava from a single volcano in the world. The dots embody the lava imprint within the tubes and the lava flow contain powerful energy.
Grove Racing revealed the indigenous liveries for both its Mustangs as well as the fellow Penrite-backed Honda Racing Superbike designed by Lorraine Kabbindi White. The story told through the livery is based on Kabbindi’s artworks ‘The First Bees’ and ‘Freshwater Mermaids’. Pigments were sourced from Kabbindi’s Mok Clan Djang family estate in Arnhem Land.
Reconciliation is the story told by Jack Smith’s SCT Logistics Brad Jones Racing ZB Commodore designed by Goondiwindi’s Elenore Binge. Titled ‘Younger’, the artwork was inspired by her great Aunt Colleen McGrady having learnt the symbols and animals of the Gamilaroi people. Black and white hands symbolise reconciliation, railway tracks feature as well alongside the Mother Earth’s veins to represent rivers and waterways.
Tipo/Yaram designed the livery on the Blanchard Racing Team Ford Mustang focuses on the Saltwater Crocodile representing strength, power and masculinity. Water lilies feature throughout the artwork to signify fertility, while blue represents water and the dots symbolise prior generations. The bonnet artwork represents Larrakia Country, the traditional owners of the Darwin area as the rest represent the members of the team and their families, including a tribute to the late John Blanchard Sr.
