NASCAR tribute for Winterbottom/Richards

Team 18 will showcase sponsor IRWIN’s NASCAR history at the retro-themed Penrite Oil Sandown 500 this weekend.

The Mark Winterbottom/Steven Richards Commodore pays tribute to the look carried by Kurt Busch on the way to the NASCAR Cup Series title in 2004.

IRWIN backed Busch’s Roush Racing Ford for half of that year’s campaign, which delivered the driver the only top-tier title of his career to date.

The remake for Sandown includes the large door numbers and smattering of associate sponsors on the front guards that are the trademark of NASCAR liveries.

Winterbottom, who joined Charlie Schwerkolt’s Team 18 this season after 13 years at Tickford Racing, is keen to hit the track in the revised IRWIN colours.

“It’s really cool to race with a livery that has a lot of history, this is the first time I’ve raced with IRWIN in Supercars but it shows they’ve been in global motorsport for a long time,” Winterbottom said.

“To replicate the Kurt Busch championship-winning car and see how good it looks and to then even drive with it is really special, it looks very NASCAR and it’s cool to carry some history with us.

“Richo and I will try our best to do the colours proud and try and get the best result we can. We are really looking forward to it and a change of colour can make the car go quick so we will see how it goes!”

Added Richards: “IRWIN Tools has a pretty rich history in racing in the US and in Australia over the past 10-15 years, so it’s great to be able to pay homage to that.

“The livery looks really cool, I think it is fantastic and I’m looking forward to getting our NASCAR on and running it at Sandown.”

Winterbottom and Richards are currently 11th in the PIRTEK Enduro Cup standings, after a sixth at Bathurst was followed by a pair of 19ths on the Gold Coast.