COKE RETURNS WITH TEAM SYDNEY
By Bruce Williams
Date posted: 4 February 2020
Coke returns with Team Sydney – Photo: InSyde Media
Have to hand it to Jonathon Webb, he’s pulled a blinder with Coca-Cola branding of James Courtney’s Team Sydney Commodore.
Comment By MARK FOGARTY
Nobody saw the return of Coke to major Australian motor racing sponsorship coming – least of all, we in the media.
Ironically, amid great secrecy, the deal was exposed when the Coca-Cola liveried car was caught uncovered on its way to its reveal at the Supercars season launch.
It is a welcome surprise to see the iconic red and white livery back – and great for Supercars, which has been lacking big-name consumer brands outside the automotive industry for a long time.
Coca-Cola emblazoned all over the new Team Sydney’s primary entry is an emphatic way to announce its arrival.
So hats off to Webb, team principal of the squad formerly known as Tekno Autosports, for scoring a major coup by securing the backing of the world’s best known and most popular soft drink.
Coke is among the Holy Grails of sports sponsorship and many big Supercars teams have tried and failed to interest the local bottler, Coca-Cola Amatil.
Of course, Coca-Cola is a storied commercial brand in Australian motor racing, most famously as sponsor of Allan Moffat’s iconic Trans-Am Mustang 50 years ago.
It made a famous comeback in the mid-1990s as sponsor of 1987 world motorcycle champion Wayne Gardner’s V8 team.
Diet Coke also backed the BMW Super Touring team and extended to Paul Morris’s initial foray into Supercars.
That was in the era when Amatil was run by enthusiast Dean Wills, scion of the WD & HO Wills tobacco empire, which supported race teams under the Craven Mild, John Player Special and Benson & Hedges cigarette brands.
Amatil got out of the tobacco business at the end of the ’80s and returned to racing sponsorship with Coca-Cola in the mid-to-late 1990s.
Coke hasn’t been a major team backer for more than 20 years.
Assuming it is The Real Thing, Coca-Cola’s return to Supercars as a primary team sponsor is a huge promotional boost for the sport.
It also bestows great credibility on the Team Sydney initiative, which not so long ago was in grave doubt amid an ownership dispute.
Behind the scenes, Webb and Courtney brought in former Holden Motorsport manager Simon McNamara as an informal advisor.
It is understood that McNamara, who is the head of innovation and commercial projects at the Western Bulldogs AFL club, helped broker the Coca-Cola deal.
Although he has been linked to a management role at Team Sydney, McNamara is staying with the 2016 AFL Grand Final winners.
Team Sydney will run two Triple Eight-built Commodores with a full customer technical support deal.
Courtney’s #19 lead entry will be joined by a #22 car, expected to be piloted by 2018 Super2 champion Chris Pither.
The team will relocate from Tekno Autosport’s Gold Coast base to western Sydney later this year before moving to a dedicated facility at Sydney Motorsport Park.
Team Sydney is part of a $33 million dollar upgrade of SMP that will include permanent track lighting and a motor sport industry hub.
For more of the latest Supercars news pick up the current issue of Auto Action. Also make sure you follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or our weekly email newsletter for all the latest updates between issues.
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