Brad Jones Racing marks 800th Supercars race milestone

Andre Heimgartner will sport the #800 on a special weekend for Brad Jones Racing.

Revealed on the eve of the Melbourne SuperSprint, the Kiwi's R&J Batteries Toyota Supra will carry the #800 at this weekend's Grand Prix, a number never before used in Supercars.

The celebration marks BJR's long and winding journey which began with a single Ford AU Falcon for owner-driver Jones in 2000.

The milestone also comes at the scene of BJR's first Supercars win, at the hands of John Bowe at the 2005 non-championship event. BJR had to wait another six years for its first championship race win, courtesy of Jason Bright in Perth.

Through 26 seasons, the proud Albury squad has recorded 15 race wins, 19 pole positions and 83 podium finishes.

BJR becomes just the third team to bring up 800 or more races, behind Dick Johnson Racing and Walkinshaw TWG Racing (formerly Holden Racing Team and Walkinshaw Andretti United).

WTWGR will hit the 1000 race mark on Thursday, with DJR commencing the weekend on 1093 races.

“When Kim [Jones] and I BJR first entered Supercars, this number wasn’t even a blip on our radar. Last year we celebrated 350 rounds and 25 years in the sport," team owner Jones said.

"It’s honestly a little hard to believe, the years have just melted into each other over time.

"I have so many memories from the past 25 years. A couple of my all-time favourites as a driver would be Bathurst 2001 where John Cleland and I started 22nd and raced our way to second.

"And 2002 would be another where John Bowe and I fought for the race lead early on but suffered a mechanical issue, its not often you feel like you have the fastest car at Bathurst and I thought we did that day.

"As a team owner it would probably be Jason Bright winning our second race in Supercars at Winton with JR on the podium, it was such a dominant performance. And Macauley winning the Super2 race at Bathurst, I was so proud of him and the team."

Race No. 800 falls on Sunday for BJR, some 26 years after the team's debut.

The team has long championed the relationships grown at the team, through drivers and crew members, past and present.

Notably, a sticker of the late Jason Richards continues to run on the #8 entry to this day.

"In truth we have so many great drivers over the years that have created fond memories, I could write a list a mile long," Jones continued.

"What I’m most proud of is the team we’ve built and the people who have found a home here. Many of our staff have relocated from outside Albury, making a real commitment to be part of this team. We have crew members who have been with us for a lot of these 800 races, that’s incredible to me.

"With the build of our GR Supras and how hectic our schedule has been over the past few months, it’s nice to take a moment to reflect on the crew’s dedication, work ethic and passion. It’s second to none in the pit lane.

"We also wouldn’t be here without our partners and sponsors, past and present. They’ve been the backbone of our racing program all these years. They’re the reason we get to do what we love and to have been doing it for so long.”

The #800 R&J Batteries Supra will hit the track in Melbourne from Thursday.