Freightliner enters V8 main game

Freightliner has extended its partnership with Brad Jones Racing, and will be a naming rights sponsor for Fabian Coulthard in the 2015 V8 Supercars Championship

At a gala function at Daimler Truck & Bus headquarters in Melbourne last night (November 27), subsidiary Freightliner has announced it will for the first time be contesting the V8 Supercars category from 2015, having signed a three-year sponsorship deal as naming rights sponsor for Brad Jones Racing driver, Fabian Coulthard.

Hastily prepared since its last outing at Phillip Island, the covers were pulled back on the 'Freightliner Racing'-liveried VF Commodore by Coulthard and Freightliner Senior Manager Rod West, in the presence of BJR owners Brad and Kim Jones, V8 Supercars CEO James Warburton, Daimler Truck & Bus Managing Director Daniel Whitehead, a number of other industry and racing fraternity representatives, and members of the sporting and transport press.

The number 14 Commodore will revert to its traditional livery for the final round of the championship in Sydney next week (December 5-7).

The deal represents a significant extension of the arrangement Freightliner already had in place with BJR; presently it supplies the team with two Freightliner Argosy prime movers to haul its race transporters, while Freightliner livery has on several occasional adorned the car driven by Andrew Jones, son of Kim, at selected rounds of the Dunlop Development Series. This new deal, however, will see Freightliner enter the main game for the first time.

BJR co-owner, Kim Jones, said he was elated to have Freightliner's backing.

"Without partners like Freightliner we can't do it [go racing] and the group here has been enthusiastic from day one," he said.

"They supply our prime movers right now, we've had a great relationship and that's developed into a naming rights sponsor for a multi-year deal. We can't wait to do it, we've got all these ideas that we want to put into place and Freightliner is going to own the world!"

Daniel Whitehead said they'd found a perfect fit in Brad Jones Racing.

"For us this represents our first foray into a major Australian sport and may I say what a privilege it is to be associated with one of the most successful and long-serving motorsport teams in Australia," he said.

"We relish what lies ahead in the coming season and beyond, but we know motorsport knows no mercy. There will be highs and lows, wins and losses, but above all we know that Brad Jones Racing will give 100 per cent effort 100 per cent of the time."

Coulthard, who is currently lying in sixth place in the championship with one round remaining, was forthright when asked for his views on the new-look car.

"It looks great, I think it works well," he said.

"It's nice and shiny and I aim to try and keep it that way!"

Mr Whitehead said the deal offered Freightliner with a range of benefits.

"We're not a very charitable organisation; we do this because it makes sense for us commercially," he said.

"Our customers fit right into the demographic, most of the girls and guys in the office fit into the demographic, so for us the benefits far outweigh the cost. We're been a part of Brad Jones Racing for a fair while, a smaller part, and we had the opportunity to upgrade. For us it was a very quick commercial decision that has fantastic benefits for the employees and everyone associated with us, so we couldn't be happier."

Mr Whitehead said the tie-up would shine a spotlight on the Freightliner brand.

"V8 Supercars racing will provide the perfect platform for the Freightliner truck name in front of a massive national and indeed global audience," he said.

"It will put our name in front of our customers' and potential customers' faces whenever they think of buying a truck. It will be the Freightliner name at the truck of their list."

When asked why Daimler Truck & Bus has gone with this Freightliner sponsorship of BJR, instead of Mercedes-Benz sponsorship of Erebus Motorsport V8 (which campaigns Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG race cars), Mr Whitehead was quick to answer.

"This is not a Daimler sponsorship, it's a Freightliner sponsorship that comes out of Daimler Truck & Bus," he said.

"We had a relationship with Brad Jones Racing under Freightliner. This is not something new, it's simply an upgrade of what we were already doing."

Mr Whitehead also said there was no correlation between the Freightliner announcement and the recent announcement by Roger Penske to enter V8 Supercars next year with Marcus Ambrose, who has wrapped up his NASCAR career to re-enter Australia's top-tier racing category.

Penske Automotive owns Penske Commercial Vehicles, which imports and distributes Western Star, MAN and Dennis Eagle trucks in Australia.

"No, the decision [by Freightliner] was already taken but the timing was interesting," Mr Whitehead said.

"I think Roger probably tipped in a little more than us for his [V8 deal], but it was just a pure timing thing and it will be fun to race against him. He's a very nice guy, a genuine guy. However, you don't become that successful by just being a nice guy and I'm sure he'll do whatever's necessary, but Brad Jones Racing is dedicated to being the best they can be too.

"I think having Marcus Ambrose back adds another dimension to the whole category and, as a sponsor, the more people who watch, the better. The more energy around the whole thing the more people will see the Freightliner badge, and we've pretty confident that Fabian will be running around at the pointy end of the field."

Pictured standing next to car (from L to R): Brad Jones (BJR), Kim Jones (BJR), Daniel Whitehead (Managing Director, Daimler Truck & Bus), Fabian Coulthard, Rod West (Senior Manager, Freightliner).

Freightliner enters V8 main game

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