Rheem Manufacturing has announced renewal of its partnership with DJR Team Penske for the 2018 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship Series season.

After an outstanding Supercars 2017 season that featured 15 race wins, an extraordinary 20 pole positions and the Teams’ Championship, the Shell V-Power Racing Team will again be a force in 2018.

The no. 12 and no.17 Shell V-Power Fords will display the Rheem logo on their rear quarter panels for all 16 rounds of the 2018 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship.

The cars will continue to be driven by the duo of Fabian Coulthard and Scott McLaughlin.

“We would like to congratulate the Shell V-Power Racing Team for an incredible effort this season and we are looking forward to an even bigger and better 2018,” says Rheem Australia chief operating officer, Chris Taylor.

“This has been a momentous year for both parties. Rheem marked 80 years since we began manufacturing in Australia, while the Shell V-Power Racing Team celebrated a golden anniversary – 50 years of the relationship between Shell and Dick Johnson. It’s the longest corporate partnership in Australian Motorsport and one of the longest in any Australian sport. It’s that sort of partnership and commitment that Rheem itself likes to foster.”

Chris says the Rheem sponsorship has proven to be an excellent one on many levels.

“Rheem has engaged our customers like never before and shown our commitment to investing in the right partnerships. It has also enabled the Rheem brand to gain widespread exposure on TV, social media, online and, of course, on the cars themselves,” says Chris.

“The sponsorship also successfully connects the Rheem brand with the nation’s genuine love of Supercars racing. The feedback from this year has been fantastic, and we look forward to extending our engagement with the team and our customers across Australia – and New Zealand – into 2018. We’ll have even more opportunities for a broader range of experiences next year.”

Shell V-Power Racing Team managing director Ryan Story says the renewal was indicative of the improvement for the team both on and off-track in 2017.

“We’ve worked hard across all facets of our business this year to be better at what we do in every way,” Ryan says.

“Our on-track performance has demonstrated that with 15 race wins and 20 pole positions, but we’ve also made great strides across the commercial aspects of the business too.

“We’re very proud that an iconic brand like Rheem has shown the confidence to continue with us into the future.”

With seven Australian Touring Car Championships and three Bathurst 1000 victories to its credit, there is no doubt that the Shell V-Power Racing Team will continue to provide a captivating platform for the Rheem Australia brand.

“Australia is a great sporting nation and Rheem is proud of its association with and commitment to three major sporting codes – the V8 Supercars, NRL and AFL. They are all hugely popular and loved by generations of Australians, so it makes sense for Rheem to be involved with them,” says Ryan.