The Supercars Championship is Australia’s leading motorsport series and PACCAR is a key sponsor and logistics partner, getting essential personnel and vital equipment to tracks all around the nation.
The Supercars Championship is the biggest motorsport show on the Australian calendar, each year attracting hundreds of thousands of fans to a dozen street and circuit races around the nation.
With the complex logistics challenges of staging a travelling motorsport series in locations as far apart as Darwin, Launceston, Townsville and Perth, Supercars needs a reliable transport partner, a role PACCAR has been happy to fulfil for more than two decades now.
This year, PACCAR has supplied its all-new Kenworth K220 and T610 trucks as part of its ongoing support of Australia’s most popular touring car championship, which in 2023 extends into its 24th season.
Jason Routley is Supercars Transport and Logistics Manager and has only ever been behind the wheel of a Kenworth during his 12 years with the organisation.
“PACCAR has been with us for over 20 years now. Right from the outset, they were a series sponsor providing two brand new prime movers, which would generally involve a new model being released to transport our two B-double transporters.
“We’ve had a run of 10 years with the K200 and we’ve just recently upgraded to the K220, along with a new T610. We’re lucky to receive a big cab option, which gives us a lot more space when we’re sleeping in the truck on the road.
“PACCAR has always been very good in asking what we’ve wanted in the vehicles and have always specced them up with features like Dura-Bright wheels, chrome guards, manual gearbox, and any other bells and whistles.
“We generally do between 30,000 and 40,000 kilometres a year to attend the 12 events on the championship calendar. When we’re at events, we’ll park up at a Kenworth dealership and have the trucks on display out the front. And when we do a transporter parade, the K220 is always the first truck in the parade. PACCAR also sponsor the Kenworth Drivers Parade at Bathurst, before the start of the main race, so our two prime movers always lead that parade, too.
“The trucks have been unbeatable. We’ve never had an issue with them. Admittedly we give them back when they’re three years old and barely run in. But the performance of the Cummins engine is incredible. It’s second to none.”
While the Kenworth prime movers are the heroes of the Supercars’ Road show, it’s the contents of the custom-built trailers they haul that are vital to ensuring the smooth operation of the Championship.
“We have two B-double transporters, one of them is the CEO’s boardroom, which is the A trailer, while the B-trailer houses all our media and IT personnel and can seat up to 21 people,” said Jason, who personally drives the cab-over K220.
The trailers, like the trucks are maintained at some of the 58 PACCAR Parts and TRP Dealerships located around the country. Malcolm Toop, PACCAR Parts Australia’s Special Markets Manager, says the extensive dealer network means Supercars and other transport organisations can be confident they can get the parts they need, and the expertise to make the necessary repairs.
“PACCAR Parts offer our dealer network training several times per year to strengthen their knowledge base on the Kenworth, DAF, TRP and Trailer parts we sell. We also have the newly developed Trailer catalogues available, plus the TRP product range guide which covers trailer parts, truck accessories and aftermarket truck part options.”
“Shepparton, Wodonga, Mildura, Adelaide and Mt Gambier are well established in the trailer parts business and have been servicing trailers in their regions for many years. With their experience and in-depth parts knowledge, they’re very well versed in stocking the right parts to suit the local fleets and owner operators. Our regional WA and Queensland dealers also have the volume required to assist them in stocking a large range of parts for local fleets, who often service or refurbish multiple trailers at a time.”
