Supercheap Auto Racing is embracing its 20th year in the sport and Supercars retro round at Sandown this weekend by rolling out its livery from the 1999 season for contenders Chaz Mostert and co-driver Steve Owen.
The unique purple, red and yellow scheme was originally raced by John Briggs on his EL Falcon Supercar at the start of the 1999 season which was just Supercheap Auto’s second year in the sport.
The livery was chosen via fan vote on social media over other Supercheap Auto Racing schemes raced by Russell Ingall and Greg Murphy during their time representing the automotive retail brand.
Mostert, currently fifth in the standings, likes the chance to pay tribute to the history of the sport and that of Supercheap Auto.
“Retro round is a great concept and it is nice to be able to recognise a bit of Supercheap Auto’s 20-year history in the sport this weekend at the Sandown 500,” Mostert said.
“We ran one of their retro liveries last year which was a lot of fun and got a great fan response so hopefully the fans really like what we’ve got this year. John Briggs played a big role in Supercheap Auto’s entry to the sport so hopefully we can do him proud.
“John’s original car has been restored and it is great that it is still around. I had the chance to check it out and while 1999 isn’t that long ago for a lot of fans, I couldn’t get over how much Supercars have developed.
“You can tell it is a Supercar but it looks ancient when you compare it to the Prodrive Racing FG X Falcon I drive today. The technology has come a long way, as have the materials we use to build the car and of course the safety we have has advanced significantly.”
Supercheap Auto General Manager of Customer Communication and Engagement, David Bauer explains that “Motorsport has been a great way to connect with both customers and our internal team members. It really is part of our company DNA,” Bauer said.
“We are lucky that we have so many racing cars that we can pick from when it comes to celebrating retro round, which also links nicely this year with our 20th anniversary in the sport.
“This year we let our fans and customers decide what they wanted to see Chaz and Steve race at Sandown and the overwhelming choice was the 1999 livery. The original car was a Ford which is a nice link and I think the modern interpretation is a nice fit on a current Supercar.”
Mostert and Owen will give the retro livery its track debut on Friday during practice for this weekend’s Sandown 500 which will be followed by the 55th edition of the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 on 5-8 October.
