SPECIAL HELMET DESIGN FOR MCLAUGHLIN IN DARWIN

Special helmet design for Scott McLaughlin in Darwin – Photo: Supplied

Supercars Championship leader Scott McLaughlin will run a special one-off helmet and driving boots at this weekend’s Darwin Triple Crown.

The artwork, created by Frank Stivala of R Star Design in conjunction with contemporary Aboriginal artist Danielle Mate Sullivan, displays a rich story including a touching tribute to the 51 victims of the Christchurch massacre earlier this year. McLaughlin was born and raised in Christchurch.

The boots will be auctioned off after the race weekend as a part of Fox Footy’s ‘Ultimate Sporting Auction’, which aims to raise as much money as possible for AFL great Neale Daniher’s Fight MND campaign.

McLaughlin wanted to do something special as he heads to Darwin, so collaborated with his regular helmet painter Stivala and Sullivan to create a unique piece that celebrates Supercars with a bold Aboriginal design.

“Frank and Danielle did an amazing job with my helmet and boots for Darwin,” said McLaughlin.

“It tells a story and incorporates all of the most important aspects of my life. The circles represent a meeting place, with 15 of them representing the 15 tracks we visit this season. The black lines connecting them are journey lines, and they represent our travels throughout the Championship year,” he continued.

“It’s also very cool to have been able to include a tribute to my hometown of Christchurch, with the 51 U-shapes representing the people who lost their lives in the massacre earlier this year. And as another personal touch, the paws are for my dog Chase. I couldn’t be happier with how it has turned out.”

Aboriginal artist Sullivan said that taking on the challenge of creating a design for McLaughlin’s helmet and boots was something she couldn’t pass up.

“When Frank and Scott got in touch with me earlier this year, I was very excited as it’s something outside my normal scope of work,” Sullivan said.

“Being given the freedom to create something special for Scott as he heads to the Northern Territory was a great privilege, and I looked to tell a story using Aboriginal themes and designs that included Scott’s life, background and personality.

“His helmet colour scheme includes bold, bright colours so it was great to work with and I’m very proud of the finished result. Hopefully the helmet and boots bring him good luck and continued success this weekend in Darwin.”

The Crownbet Darwin Triple Crown begins this Friday at Hidden Valley Raceway in Darwin, Northern Territory.

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