DJR Fords to campaign Indigenous livery in Darwin

The Shell V-Power Racing Team has unveiled the Indigenous livery it will campaign at this weekend’s Merlin Darwin Triple Crown.

The livery has been dedicated to Racing Together, the programme designed to give teenage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders an opportunity to pursue a career in motorsport as a driver or a member of a race team.

It comes after Viva Energy, the exclusive licensee of the Shell brand in Australia, recently announced a new three-year partnership with the programme.

Ryan Story, the team’s Chairman and CEO, is a director of the Racing Together board.

"The opportunity to highlight Racing Together and its objectives at the Darwin Triple Crown by way of an Indigenous livery supported by all of our partners and put together by Braedyn, who is the Racing Together race driver, is something of a remarkable story," Story said.

"I am very proud to be associated with the Racing Together organisation as a director, and what ties everything together for me is that Viva Energy, our major sponsor, is also a significant supporter of the project.

"We're partners in racing, and we're partners in business. The opportunity to raise awareness and to increase involvement in both STEM and motorsport for young Indigenous Australians is something that we should all aspire to."

Braedyn Cidoni, the designer of the team's livery, is a Racing Together team member.

His work was inspired by artist Allison Millcock's 'Turtles Crossing Cultures'.

"While Allison's art represents her longing to connect with her ancestors, I used the turtle to highlight the environment and the wildlife that we need to protect and added the snake to represent the fierceness and power behind the Racing Together team," Cidoni explained.

"I have always wanted to be a race car driver, and the Racing Together programme has given me the opportunity to do that. I couldn't believe I was selected out of everyone to be the driver.

"Our team has many different roles like engineer, mechanic and social media, and everyone is so happy to be part of the team… we’ve bonded and all become really good friends."

The special livery will roll out at Hidden Valley Raceway on Friday.

The Repco Supercars Championship field will return to the Northern Territory for the Merlin Darwin Triple Crown across June 18-20. Tickets are available here.

The event will be broadcast live on Foxtel and will be streamed on Kayo, and will be broadcast live and free on Seven.