MARK Winterbottom will move away from his traditional #18 this weekend as his team honours his inclusion in Supercars’ 600 club.
Winterbottom is due to become the third driver in history to tally 600 ATCC/Supercars Championship race starts, in Race 1 of the Bosch Power Tools Perth SuperSprint on Saturday.
To mark the occasion, Winterbottom will carry the #600, plus a tribute addition to his DeWalt livery on the rear-quarter panel.
“Frosty is a champion of the sport, and we’re thrilled to celebrate his 600th race start with this special addition to the DeWalt livery for such a significant occasion,” said team owner Charlie Schwerkolt.
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“Frosty’s longevity in the sport is a testament to his talent, attitude and passion for the sport, and his experience and insight have served us well to strengthen the team.
“He has adapted to the new generation of Supercars so well straight out of the gate, and we know there’s more to come from him into the future.”
Winterbottom is eager to celebrate with a breakthrough result, his last podium having come at Wanneroo Raceway in 2018 for Tickford Racing.
“I’ll be very grateful when that 600th race starts, but I’ll enjoy it even more if we get a good result,” he said.
“I’m really in sync with the car, which is a good feeling.
“I think I was quite disconnected from the previous car where this one, I really know what I want and what I’m after.
“It’s very clear to me where our weakness is and we’ve got a great group of guys and girls that are working hard trying to fix that weakness.
“So it’s not like the old car where you had to develop something, we’ve all got the same tools underneath us.
“I think a qualifying car is close for me from the last round, but the race car is our focus.”
Winterbottom will become the eighth driver to don #600, all previous cases having come during the CAT Racing era: John Bowe, Jim Richards, Simon Wills, Steve Owen, Dale Brede, Greg Ritter and Dean Canto.
