MEDIA RELEASE/Team 18 – Photos: supplied

Supercars team owner Charlie Schwerkolt swapped the boardroom for the driver’s seat today, taking the Team 18 race transporter from the shipping port in Devonport to Symmons Plains Raceway ahead of this weekend’s Beaurepaires Tasmania SuperSprint.

Today was Schwerkolt’s first chance to drive the team’s new Kenworth T909 to the racetrack, hauling the team’s two trailers carrying the DEWALT Racing and IRWIN Racing Supercars for Scott Pye and Mark Winterbottom to race this weekend.

The truck was driven by the team’s regular truck driver Mark Nelson from their home base in Mount Waverley to the Sea Road shipping dock in Port Melbourne, before Schwerkolt flew to Tasmania and picked it up when it docked at Devonport in Tasmania this morning.

The T909 is the flagship model of the Kenworth range, powered by a 15-litre, 600 horsepower Cummins X15 engine with an 18-speed Eaton manual transmission. 

The brand also shares a long personal history with Schwerkolt, with more than 20 Kenworths currently running in his Waverley Forklifts transport fleet.

The Beaurepaires Tasmania SuperSprint kicks off this Saturday, with three 44-lap sprint races across the weekend.

Charlie Schwerkolt, Team Owner – Team 18, IRWIN Racing and DEWALT Racing

“Today I had the pleasure of driving our team’s transporter with all of our cars and equipment from the port in Devonport to Symmons Plains Raceway ahead of the Supercar round this weekend,” said Charlie Schwerkolt.

“It’s only about a 100-kilometre trip from the port to the track on the Southern side of Launceston, but this is one of my personal favourite trips to do.”

“Our regular truck driver Mark Nelson won’t be happy as it was bucketing down rain for most of the day, it’s a bit cold and fresh down here but hopefully we look like having a dry weekend ahead.

“The Kenworth T909 is an iconic truck, It’s a beautiful truck and my pride and joy in the race team.

“I’m excited to go back to Symmons Plains this year. We missed out last year but in 2019 Frosty had the pole position there, and I’m keen to see if he can do it again, but I reckon Scotty will be up-there threatening as well. 

“It’s great little track, with a couple of drag strips and the sharp hairpin. It’s a tricky track to setup for.

“It should be a good round for Team 18 with IRWIN and DEWALT and we just can’t wait to get back on track.”

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