A pair of new International ProStar prime movers have joined leading Supercars race team Tickford Racing to transport race cars.
The cars are driven by Mark Winterbottom, Cam Waters, Chaz Mostert and Richie Stanaway.
The partnership will see the ProStars – one sleeper cab, the second an extended cab – hauling the team’s B-Double transporters which include race cars, spare parts and tools to race meets around the country.
Both of the trucks feature powerful Cummins X15 engines producing 410 kW, 2508 Nm. They are coupled to Eaton’s sophisticated UltraShift Plus 18-speed automated manual transmission.
One of the vehicles also features the ‘Adept’ package. This system is an option with the UltraShift Plus and utilises load, speed and grade sensing software, making minor adjustments to speed, power and transmission gear selection to take advantage of vehicle momentum for better fuel economy.
The Adept package also includes SmartTorque2 and SmartCoast technology.
SmartTorque2 is the next generation of torque management technology from Cummins. The system senses both the selected gear and overall engine load as a result of the gross vehicle weight, aerodynamic drag and road grade.
Both trucks are dressed with additional chrome, checker plate and polished alloy trimmings along with additional auxiliary lighting.
The inside includes an ergonomically designed 10-gauge instrument cluster with chrome bezels, a curbed dashboard, leather driver and passenger air suspension seat and 6.1-inch touch screen multimedia system with satellite navigation.
The cabin’s sloping hood, swept-back design, wrap around windshield and set-back A pillars allow good vision.
The design also helps aerodynamic performance.
The sleeper cab standing roof height of 1922mm allows for comfortable movement between the driver and passenger side of the cabin and into the sleeper area.
“There is a freshness about International that’s very appealing, and they have been very keen to work with us,” Tickford Racing co-owner Rod Nash says.
“We are very much looking forward to having their ProStar vehicles leading us from race to race this season and beyond.
“What Iveco is doing with International is similar to what we have been doing with Tickford, and now Tickford Racing, in bringing a beloved brand back into the Australian market.”
IVECO Australia marketing manager Darren Swenson says International was relaunched into the Australian market in 2017.
“Our partnership with Tickford Racing will go a long way to rekindling Australia’s interest and passion in International trucks and in particular the new ProStar range.”
The trucks will be at the Adelaide 500 from March 1, the first round of this year’s Supercars Championship.
