Macauley Jones hopes some Wiradjuri strength can push him forward in the Supercars Indigenous Round at Darwin next weekend.
The Darwin Triple Crown once again celebrates First Nations people and culture and the #96 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 has changed colours once again for the occasion.
Having previously raced with a full white or gold car this season, Jones has a black Camaro with special designs decorated all over the car.
It is the second Indigenous Round livery to be revealed following James Courtney’s unveiling of his Tickford Mustang.
The livery is characterised by the Wiradjuri artworks of the Mungabareena Aboriginal Corporation, (MAC) who provide services to the Indigenous community across the Albury region where Brad Jones Racing is based.
The MAC worked with Elders in their Planned Activity Group to produce bespoke designs which had a special meaning to the region.
BJR and MAC then joined forces to apply the artwork to the Supercar and having enjoyed the experience Jones is thrilled with the end result.
“It’s been a great experience working with the Mungabareena Aboriginal Corporation to produce these designs,” he said.
“Their Elders group has done an amazing job and I’m quite humbled to be able to race with their artwork on the car.
“I’ve grown up in Wiradjui country and in my opinion it’s some of the most incredible landscapes in Australia. Being able to carry that in the Indigenous round means a lot to me.
“The Pizza Hut Camaro looks amazing and having the Googar totem with us in Darwin can only be a good thing.”
Jones is no stranger to racing with unique liveries recently having raced a shiny “gold member” Camaro in Perth.
At last year’s Darwin Triple Crown, car #96 stood out with a bright orange tone teamed with hints of Indigenous artwork.
In 2023 there is far more artwork sprinkled around the Camaro with each carrying their own meaning.
The large Googar (Goanna) placed on the rear quarter panel is a symbol of one of the main totems for the Wiradjuri people and represents finding strength physically and emotionally.
Sprinkled around the doors are three blue lines which symbolise the Murray River, while the meeting places of Albury-Wodonga are represented by smaller circles.
MAC representative Carl Tunstall said the project of designing the Camaro provided a “new lease of life” to some of his colleagues.
“Over a few Planned Activity Group meetings, the Elders worked on the design and a few expressed they had “a new lease on life” after being given the opportunity to participate in this project,” he said.
“All the Elders who participated in the project are excited to see the final results of their work.”
Jones arrives at Darwin 22nd in the championship and recorded a best result of 17th at last year’s Triple Crown.
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