Italian truck brand Iveco is off to a speedy start to 2025 with news its S-Way trucks will be hauling race cars around the country for two different teams.
IVECO Trucks Australia has teamed up with Arise Racing GT for this year’s instalment of the GT World Challenge Australia racing season.
It will see a flagship S-Way 550 AS out the front of a trailer carrying race cars loosely based on Ferrari’s stunning 296 GTB road cars, valued at about 1.25 million each.
The Arise team is backed by Australian entrepreneur Laurence Escalante, who also happens to be an exotic car fanatic, and supported by the Ferrari factory in Maranello.
There are big hopes for 2025 as well, with Arise Racing recently confirming a two-car line-up to be piloted by Jaxon Evans and Elliott Schutte (car 26) and Steve Wyatt and Jordan Love (car 77).
Arise Racing GT Commercial Manager, Jake Klarich, says the S-Way – and IVECO – are an ideal fit for the outfit.
“IVECO has a strong pedigree in top level motorsports as the transporter of choice for many high-profile race teams and is even trusted and utilised by the Ferrari Formula 1 Team,” Jake says.
“A long brand relationship between IVECO and Ferrari also exists, and finished in ‘rosso scuderia’, Ferrari’s racing colour, the S-Way and trailer set look amazing – very sleek and aggressive on the road.”
Aside from looking the part, Jake says there are other aspects of the S-Way that are important for the team.
“We wanted a powerful prime mover that would easily handle the weight we carry, although the cars are light, we operate like a mobile workshop so there are a lot of tools, equipment, spare parts, wheels and tyres that come with us,” he explains.
The high value cargo is transported in a specially designed B-double trailer. The A trailer is predominantly used to accommodate the team’s tools and equipment, while the B trailer houses the two Ferraris (with room for a third) along with additional equipment. Loading and unloading the cars is fast and efficient thanks to the trailer’s rear tailgate loader.
Outside of the GT3 tour, IVECO can be seen trackside at the Supercars Championship, having partnered with Erebus Motorsport to tackle the transport duties for the #9 and #99 Camaro’s of Jack Le Broq and Cooper Murray respectively.
In a video released by Erebus Motorsport and Prestige Iveco, Erebus’s transporter driver Tim Jennings says the S-Way 550 he’s driving this year has “plenty of grunt to pull our b-double combination over any hill with ease”, the driver comfort is outstanding and the high cabin offers plenty of room to stand and move around during break times.
The Erebus Motorsport team were on the track at Tasmania’s Symmons Plains Raceway today, clocking up position 21 for Cooper and P16 for Jack. Cooper’s race was marred by hitting another car on the first turn of the big race.