Transporter driver details 10,000km Perth trip

As far as road trips come for Supercars transporter drivers, the journey to Perth is the longest of the year.

Team transporters are being loaded up and set to jet across Australia for the Bosch Power Tools Perth SuperSprint.

There are four Supercars teams based in Queensland, and their trips to Wanneroo Raceway are the longest of the year.

That includes Nulon Racing, with truck driver Mick Shortus ramping up for the big journey with his team’s B-double.

The team’s Kenworth’s four fuel tanks hold 350 litres each, and Shortus will have to fuel up on on diesel once each way at South Australia’s Port Augusta.

Conversely, the team’s Chevrolet Camaros for Tim Slade and James Golding hold 133 litres, and don’t have to fuel up in the Perth sprints.

“I will start off from our Arundel headquarters on the Gold Coast and head up through Toowoomba, before going down through Goondiwindi where I will stop for Friday night,” said Shortus, who leaves on Friday.

“From there, Saturday morning I will head down through Moree and then down to Gilgandra, before turning right to head over to Cobar, before stopping at a little truck stop in the middle of nowhere called Little Topar.

The trip offers many scenic settings

“I will spend the night there before leaving Sunday morning, going through Broken Hill before heading down through Yunta to South Australia, turning right and heading up over into Peterborough.

“Then it will be time to go around and over Horrocks Pass before dropping down into Port Augusta, where I will fuel up before turning right down through Iron Knob and then across to Ceduna where I will stop at a little place called Penong.

“After spending Sunday night there, the morning will see me head straight across the Nullarbor to Norseman, where I will stay one final night before heading to Perth in the morning, arriving Tuesday by around lunchtime.

“Along the way I will listen to a bit of everything but mostly country music, while taking in the great scenery and keeping a sharp eye out for the local wildlife.”

Next weekend’s round will be Shortus’ 16th appearance in Perth, and second with Nulon Racing, which debuted in 2022.

The journey isn’t the sole job for truck drivers, who also help teams trackside, from tyre fitting to polishing the cars, and everything in between.

“Penong would have to be my favourite [part], thanks to all the fresh King George Whiting you can get there,” he said.

“Once I arrive, I will wash the truck Tuesday afternoon, before detailing it and polishing it up on Wednesday morning.

Shortus also plays a key role trackside

“I will then head to the track and park up on Wednesday afternoon – it is a pretty cruisy day really, which is nice after a long trip.

“First thing Thursday morning I will park up in the pits, and then it is time to unload and set-up simultaneously so it is a day of go, go go.

“We take all day to set-up – the tyre tents go up, the catering tent goes up, the team builds the garage and the whole set-up.

“Once the truck is unloaded, it is time to tidy up inside the truck and then we get straight onto the tyres in the tyre tent.

“I mount the tyres for #23 [Slade car], and my offsider Trevor does the ones for #31 [Golding]. It is our job to concentrate on the tyres all weekend, while making sure the truck is kept looking good and clean, inside and out.

“While it is a full-day operation on Thursday to set up, come Sunday afternoon, the truck will be loaded and ready to come home around an hour-and-a-half after the chequered flag flies for the last time.

“We will then get some rest before heading off bright and early Monday morning to start the trip home back to HQ.”

The 2023 Repco Supercars Championship will resume at the Bosch Power Tools Perth SuperSprint on April 28-30.