Tickford reveals latest Supercheap throwback

Tickford Racing has unveiled its retro contender for the RABBLE.club Sandown 500, with Supercheap Auto again backing a throwback livery.

Chaz Mostert and co-driver James Moffat will race in the colours Steven Ellery used for the bulk of the 2004 season.

The team had earlier replicated Ellery’s 2002 Falcon for the '16 retro round, before rolling out John Briggs’ 1999 paint scheme last year.

Ellery at Oran Park in 2004

Driving for his own team, Ellery raced in Supercheap colours from 2000 until splitting with the sponsor towards the end of the ’04 season.

Mostert won the PIRTEK Enduro Cup with Steve Owen last season and this year teams up with Moffat, with Owen shifting to the sister Tickford entry alongside Richie Stanaway.

“We dug deep into the Supercheap Auto raw history and we picked out an absolute winner for this weekend’s Sandown 500,” enthused Mostert.

“I’m pretty excited, I’m pretty close friends with the Ellery family so to go back to his ’04 retro livery looks pretty cool.

“I’m actually pretty jealous of the lines this car carries. I wish we could carry it for the rest of the year, but we’ll see if we can convince the team after the weekend.”

Like 2017, the Supercheap car is the only Tickford entry to be fielding retro colours for Sandown.

General Manager of Customer Communication and Engagement at Supercheap Auto, David Bauer, says the company enjoys showcasing its history in the sport.

“Supercheap Auto has a longstanding history in Australian motorsport, and every year we look forward to retro round where we can connect with our fans in bringing back a beloved livery from years gone by,” he said.

“This year is no different, and the 2004 looks great on Chaz and James’ car. We can’t wait to see it on track.”

Mostert enters Sandown eighth in the championship amid a rough run for Tickford, which remains winless in 2018.

The Supercheap entry finished third in last year's Sandown 500, despite a five-second time penalty for early-race contact between Owen and Luke Youlden.

Now at Erebus Motorsport, Youlden had been Ellery's co-driver in 2004, as well as driving a Supercheap Ford in the Super2 Series.