Team 18 have revealed an indigenous livery paying tribute to 100 years of DEWALT for Mark Winterbottom’s DEWALT Racing Camaro for the Supercars Indigenous Round this weekend at the Darwin Triple Crown.

Winterbottom will carry the artwork of renowned Kalkadoon artist Chern’ee Sutton for the third successive year, in collaboration with DEWALT and Stanley Black & Decker.

The artwork “100 Years of Striking Performance” represents DEWALT and Team 18 on their journey to race and win.

At the heart of the design is a shield representing 100 years of DEWALT, with the spears symbolising their quality and striking performance. The community symbol around it represents the people who have made DEWALT such an outstanding and quality company for the last 100 years and will continue to do so well into the future. The fire which surrounds this community symbol represents the burning passion of DEWALT and Team 18 and this year’s NAIDOC theme, “Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud & Proud.”

The white and yellow community symbol represents Team 18, and the travelling lines which lead from this community symbol and continue throughout the design represents the communities and regions the team travels to, large and small all-around Australia to compete.

The kangaroo and emu footprints represent Team 18 and DEWALT always moving forwards, never backwards and the human footprints represents the teams journey to race and win, while the yellow and grey dots in the background represents the many spectators who follow the action trackside and at home.

Sutton witnessed her artwork on Winterbottom’s Camaro score Team 18’s first ever win in Darwin last year, and will be in attendance this weekend in Darwin to see the team in action again.

This weekend’s format sees two 48 lap, 137km races on the Dunlop Super Soft Tyre with a single compulsory pit stop for a minimum of two tyres.

Qualifying for each race will be decided by an all-in 15 minute session and a Top Ten Shootout. Qualifying for Race 11 will be held on Friday before the Top 10 Shootout on Saturday.

Winterbottom will hit the track in the DEWALT Racing Camaro at the BetR Darwin Triple Crown this weekend, 14-16 June at Hidden Valley Raceway on Larakia Land.

QUOTES

Mark Winterbottom, driver #18 DEWALT Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

“Indigenous round is one of my favourite rounds. We get to unveil our great livery with DEWALT celebrating a hundred years and NAIDOC week’s theme of ‘Keep the Fire Burning’. The DEWALT Camaro looks pretty fast and pretty flash.

“My favourite part of the car is the shield, which resembles a hundred years of DEWALT strength, reliability and durability which are all the things I need as a driver to get this race car up the front.

“Last year was great to win. Any round is great to win, but when you can run a car that’s got history and meaning and all the work that Chern’ee puts in, to get that car across the line first does mean a little bit more, and she’s been great with what she’s done for us the last few years and it’s very special to have her do our artwork and my job is to repay the faith and put that car up the front.

“Our sport always evolves. Darwin has been very good for Team 18, but every year we go there, we don’t do the same thing. We’ve gone there again this year with a completely different car set up and if you don’t, if you sit on your hands in this sport, you get overtaken.

“We go there again full of confidence, not because we won last year but because of what we’ve learned in that 12 months between last year and now. You think if you do the same, you get the same result, but everyone lifts that bar and if you don’t go with it, you get left behind. We think we’re good enough to get a result there, but by no means are we getting last year’s set up in the car, we’ve evolved from where we are. So we’ll see how we go.”

Matt Francis, Brand Partnerships & Activations Manager – Stanley Black & Decker

“The Darwin Indigenous round holds special significance for DEWALT this year with Mark (Winterbottom) and Team 18 securing their first victory together here last year and it would fantastic to perpetuate that again.

“DEWALT is proud to be celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, and while it is a great opportunity to celebrate the brand and our products over a century of innovation, it is also timely to recognise the partnerships of those who have supported us over this journey.

“Once again, DEWALT and Team 18 have partnered with Chern’ee Sutton to produce our Indigenous Livery on the #18 Camaro. Chern’ee has been our partner for this event since the first year in 2022 and this year her artwork has captured DEWALT’s 100 year anniversary along with many other artistic and symbolic representations.”

Chern’ee Sutton – DEWALT Racing Indigenous Artist

“I am incredibly honoured to have my artwork featured on Team 18’s Supercar for the third consecutive year, for the Darwin Indigenous Round. This collaboration is a meaningful way to celebrate and share Indigenous culture through a dynamic and visible platform.

“Each piece I create is a reflection of my culture and stories, seeing it speed around the track is both thrilling and humbling, with the design I created this year also incorporating the 2024 National NAIDOC Theme “Keep the fire Burning: Blak, Loud and Proud” through the use of the flames on Frosty’s supercar. The flames represent the burning passion and desire of Team 18 and DEWALT to race and to win.

“Last year was particularly amazing because Mark Winterbottom won the race in his car which proudly featured my design, it was such an amazing win and a very proud moment for not only Team 18 but for me as well and I hope that they can do it again this year.”