Kelly Racing unveil special livery for 2020 Bathurst 1000

With very limited spectator numbers allowed at Mount Panorama for this weekend’s Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 due to the coronavirus pandemic, Castrol and Kelly Racing came up with an alternative way to bring fans to Bathurst.

For his 20th Bathurst start, Rick Kelly’s #15 Castrol Mustang Supercar will feature a special livery that stays true to the Castrol colours of green and red, but is made up of more than 1,000 faces – from everyday fans to frontline healthcare workers and some very famous names with Castrol and Kelly Racing connections.

The livery is the result of the #RideWithCastrol concept that was launched last month, where fans were invited to submit their photos through social media for a place on the #15 Castrol Mustang.

The collage pays special tribute to frontline workers who have borne the brunt of 2020, including those affected by bushfires, floods and the coronavirus pandemic.

Castrol legends Larry Perkins, Russell Ingall, Greg Murphy and Matt Mingay feature on the car, too, with fans challenged to pick out these and other familiar faces.

Inside the #15 car that Kelly will share with Dale Wood at Mount Panorama, Kelly Racing pay tribute to their own hardworking crew, who have travelled non-stop since July, ensuring the team is always ready to compete in this unique, COVID-interrupted season.

Kelly’s Heroes

“My 20th Supercars Bathurst 1000 start has been made even more special by this incredible fan-inspired livery that we’ve put together,” Kelly said.

“I’m honestly blown away by the support - to have around 1000 fans ride with myself and Castrol at the mountain is fantastic and it’s a real honour for myself and Dale to represent them this weekend.

“They come from all walks of life, some of them front-line workers doing it tough, others race fans that may be struggling. A lot of them would traditionally be here at the mountain cheering us on, but with the circumstances, we know that wasn’t possible this year, so we wanted to involve them somehow and bring them to the mountain. I think this livery is something we can all be really proud of.

“The cool thing for me was that we included every photo that was submitted,” Kelly added. “It didn’t matter if you’re a big supporter of our team or anyone else in pit lane, if you wanted to join us this year and submit your photo, then you’re on the car.

“There are also some really cool throwback images from back when I was quite new to the sport and a lot of selfies that people have taken with me at the track over the years, which is awesome.

“Other drivers need to be aware they can’t rub their tyres down the doors anymore because they’ll be rubbing people’s faces off!” Kelly quipped.

Kelly’s History

Rick Kelly first entered the Mount Panorama enduro in 2001 as a fresh-faced 18-year-old. Partnering Nathan Pretty in the K-Mart Racing Team VX Commodore, Kelly finished 14th on debut, three laps down on the winning combo of Mark Skaife and Tony Longhurst in the HRT VX Commodore.

Teaming up with Pretty again in 2002, but this time in Holden Racing Team colours, Kelly finished fourth.

The breakthrough came in 2003, when Kelly partnered Greg Murphy to win in the K-Mart Racing Team VY Commodore, then go back-to-back in 2004.

In 2006, the same year that he won the Supercars Championship, Kelly finished runner-up at Bathurst in the HSV Dealer Team VZ Commodore with brother Todd, but has yet to greet the podium again, with a best result since then of eighth, achieved in 2009 (Kelly Racing VE Commodore) and 2014 (Nissan Motorsport Altima L33).

This year’s Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 will be Kelly’s 20th, but his first in the Ford Mustang since the team made the switch out of Nissans at the end of last year.

Kelly’s Bathurst co-driver for 2020, Dale Wood, assisted the two-time winner in applying the livery and stickering up the #15 Castrol Mustang.

2020 Finale

The final round of the 2020 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship, the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 gets underway on Thursday, 15 October, with the Supercars on track for their first practice session from 9:30AM.

Qualifying on Friday, 16 October, followed by the Top 10 Shootout on Saturday, 17 October, leads into race day - Sunday, 18 October, with the race starting at 11:30AM (AEDT).