Supercheap Auto Racing reveals heartfelt Darwin Triple Crown Indigenous livery
Triple Eight Race Engineering and Supercheap Auto have unveiled a special wildcard Indigenous livery for the upcoming Darwin Triple Crown, in conjunction with HeartKids Australia.
HeartKids is the only national not-for-profit organisation solely focused on supporting and advocating for all children and adults impacted by childhood-onset heart disease (CoHD), one of the largest causes of infant death in Australia.
This artwork is the story of 13-year-old heart kid Lilly, with the support of brother Noah (11), mother Chantelle, and father Derrin from Larrakia Country. The artwork was designed with the support of Darwin-based artist William Hewitt, working collaboratively with Lilly’s family. The full story of the incredible artwork can be located at the end of this media release.
Supercheap Auto has been a Major Partner of HeartKids since January 2022. During this time more than $500,000 has been donated to HeartKids by Supercheap Auto with contributions from customer donations in-store and corporate donations.
Aligning with the Darwin Triple Crown event, 10-16 June is ‘Hero for HeartKids’ week at Supercheap Auto. Saturday 15 June is Supercheap Auto’s major fundraising day where store team members will dress as superheroes to help raise much-needed funds and awareness on behalf of HeartKids. The initiative has been supported by Triple Eight drivers Broc Feeney, Zane Goddard and Declan Fraser over the three years the campaign has run.
The #888 Supercheap Auto wildcard will be piloted by Cooper Murray, who makes his solo debut in the Supercars Championship. Following his wildcard entry in Darwin, Murray will team up with three-time Supercars Champion Craig Lowndes for the enduro season, comprising two events: Sandown 500 and the Bathurst 1000.
The team’s wildcard entry will see former Triple Eight race-winning engineer Wes McDougal continue the helm as race engineer for the #888 Chevrolet Camaro. McDougal was race engineer to seven-time Supercars Champion Jamie Whincup in his final full-time season of Supercars in 2021.
On-track action from the Darwin Triple Crown will commence on Friday 14 June.
Cooper Murray, Driver, Car #888
“The car looks SUPER! It’s been fantastic to team up with HeartKids and Supercheap Auto to design an amazing Indigenous livery for my Supercars debut. I think the Indigenous Round is an amazing initiative that Supercars implement for the Darwin Triple Crown and it’s great to see every team get on board.
“I’m so excited to kick things off in Darwin. Our test day went really well and there were a lot of positives that came out of the day - very few negatives, if any. I now have a lot of motivation and confidence going into the event.
“I always work very hard on my fitness away from the track which will hopefully put me in good stead for the grueling conditions and longer format races in the Top End so I think I will be well prepared for the conditions up there.
“This opportunity is something I’ve looked forward to for a long time and I’m going to take in every single moment of it, from the signing sessions to meeting the fans, all the way down to getting into the car and doing what I do best. It’s going to be an amazing week that will no doubt go too quickly.”
Benjamin Ward, Managing Director, Supercheap Auto
“Darwin marks the beginning of our 2024 Wildcard race program and is a significant round on the Supercars calendar.
“We are thrilled to share Lilly and her family’s story through the incredible indigenous artwork that the #888 Camaro will be adorning.
“We’re also proud of our partnership with HeartKids with in-store fundraising initiatives, raising vital funds to support children like Lilly affected by childhood-onset heart disease.
“We thank Lilly and the entire family for allowing us to share their story and we can’t wait to see this car making it super on track.”
Marcus Sandmann, CEO, HeartKids Australia
“We are so grateful to our partner Supercheap Auto for inviting HeartKids to collaborate with them on this special wildcard Indigenous livery for the upcoming Darwin Triple Crown. It’s incredibly important to have our partners join with us to take the fight to CoHD, and we’re proud to have Supercheap Auto on board as we celebrate the tenth anniversary of Hero for HeartKids in 2024.
“HeartKids rely on generous donations for our work to improve the lives of families and sick kids and continue to advocate for them at all stages of their heart journeys. Supercheap Auto’s involvement has been crucial to that work.
“It’s a testament to our partnership that this year the team at Supercheap Auto has gone above and beyond to create impact for our organisation, our Heart kids and the families who support them. We can’t wait to see Lilly’s ‘heartwork’ hit the racetrack.”
HeartKids Australia:
HeartKids is the only national not-for-profit organisation solely focused on supporting and advocating for all people impacted by childhood-onset heart disease (CoHD), one of the largest causes of infant death in Australia.
Our support is a commitment for life because there is no known cure. We seek to give every child, teenager, and adult in Australia living with childhood-onset heart disease and congenital heart disease a fighting chance to live a long, healthy, and fulfilling life.
The story behind Supercheap Auto Racing’s Darwin Indigenous livery:
From the center, the circle patterns represent the community of the Larrakia people, of which Lilly is part of, and the areas that they inhabit and care for. For Lilly, this takes on additional meaning of being her heart in this story.
Connected to the center circle patterns are pathways that flow out, paying tribute to past and present ancestors and their communities. This is Lilly’s connection to her family roots and connection to her culture.
The hand prints of Lilly’s contains palm markings representing her life journey with congenital heart disease, and the circular communities highlighting the support she’s had from mum Chantelle, father Derrin, brother Noah and the broader family.
With this unwavering support, Lilly’s journey continues with fish and currants deep into the background of the art, signaling fresh life and her connection to land and water. As Lilly’s story unfolds, the footprints represent taking steps into the future on the land of the Larrakia Country.
