Team 18 have presented Mark “Frosty” Winterbottom with a special livery ahead of his final round as a full-time Supercars driver at the VAILO Adelaide 500.

The 2015 Supercars Champion and 2013 Bathurst winner will conclude his time with Team 18 at the conclusion of the 2024 season.

The livery features a “Thanks Frosty” message from the team and naming-rights partner DEWALT, and features an individual wreath for all of his 39 Supercars race wins as well as his 2015 championship.

Winterbottom has enjoyed a six-year stint with the team, which included one pole position, three podium finishes and delivered Team 18’s first ever race win in Darwin in 2023.

Team 18 wishes to thank Mark for his significant contribution to the growth of the team, and wish him all the best in his future endeavours.

Team 18 hit the track tomorrow for practice ahead of this weekend’s VAILO Adelaide 500.

QUOTES

Mark Winterbottom, driver #18 DEWALT Racing Team 18 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

“I’m in two minds. One yeah, emotional and enjoy the weekend, but two, want to go out on a high and try and win the race. You’re in that mixed thing between emotions. One thing I’ve done really well over my career is control my emotions really well. So trying to do that, but it’s definitely the hardest one, but we’ll roll out tomorrow and hopefully, have a good weekend, that’s what I’m aiming for, to finish on a high and if I can finish with a trophy then that would be perfect. I’m emotional but focused at the same time, which is quite hard to do.

“It’s a nice tribute, Mitch Croke our sticker guy has done an amazing job with the stickers on the car and all those little dots reflect race wins. So there’s enough on there to make me feel like I’ve won enough, which is nice.

“I also went around and looked at them all and obviously DeWalt wanted to thank me as well and the team, that was really cool. Being a driver in this sport is such a cool thing, but being an ambassador for products and brands for some of the biggest companies in the country that have options to choose. I’ve represented a lot of really amazing brands. To see the car is really cool and that’ll be the last one I’ll drive as a full timer. It’ll be a memory in my mind for many years to come.

This is the best event. You come here and it used to start the season and be the one I look forward to and now it’s the end of the season. It’s the one I look forward to. It’s one race I’ve finished second multiple times. I’ve never won this one. I’ve won almost every other track except for Adelaide. Something about this place has haunted me. I’ve led races and had engine failures and I led a race another time and broke a front roll bar, so I’ve been close and it’s one that I’ve really wanted to win. I got one more crack, so I’ll have a go this weekend and I’ll enjoy the event for whatever sort of comes of it result wise. But it is one that I haven’t won, and when you do finish, you want to tick off all your bucket list items and this is one of them. So I’ll have a good crack.”

Charlie Schwerkolt, Team Owner – Team 18

“We’re at the Adelaide 500 and how good does this look? Frosty’s been an incredible asset for Team 18 for the past six years. We’ve had an incredible time for him and there’s no better way of parting out in this great looking car here.

“It looks really good, especially let’s call them paw prints, all the number ones all over the car from his race wins, The 120 podiums and stats all up the back of the car. It looks absolutely fantastic and really proud to showcase this car.

“Now all we need to do is go and win the race. And we really hope he can we can send him off with a bang and get a one, two or something for the team, but I really hope he’s up there.

“It’s really exciting and really proud to have Mark in our team for the past six years.”