Caltex returns to Mount Panorama

The Caltex brand will return to the Mount Panorama circuit as major sponsor of the Caltex Young Stars team in the 2022 Repco Bathurst 1000.

The team features young talents Matt Chahda and Jaylyn Robotham, who will make their Bathurst 1000 debuts aboard a Holden Commodore entry this week.

Competing under the Caltex Young Stars banner, the #118 entry will feature major branding from the Caltex fuel brand, Caltex with Techron, with support from Jack and Co Local Stores.

Chahda and Robotham took the covers off the distinctive car at the Caltex/Jack and Co Local Store location in Sydney’s Lane Cove on this morning ahead of their trip to Mount Panorama this week.

The Caltex Young Stars team is an ambitious privateer effort going head-to-head against this year’s biggest names in Australian motorsport.

The family-run squad includes 29-year-old Chahda, the son of an Albury – Wodonga car mechanic who has grown up with the sport deep in his veins. Chahda currently sits sixth in the Dunlop Super2 Series, the final steppingstone to the Supercars Championship. 

Nineteen-year-old Robotham hails from Lancefield in Victoria and has progressed through the junior categories to make it to the Super2 Series as a teenager. A race winner this year, Robotham – whose parents own the Lancefield Bakery – currently sits eighth in that championship. 

The Caltex Young Stars team will enjoy the added support of Supercars engineer figure Wally Storey, who will serve as team manager for the program.

According to Chahda, having the support of a global brand like Caltex is a huge boost for his first Bathurst 1000 campaign. “The car looks fantastic and knowing that we’re carrying the same branding as some of the most famous names of this race is exciting.

“It’s an honour for us to represent Caltex, giving us the best possible opportunity to take on the challenge ahead of us this week. Our preparation has been fantastic, and Jaylyn and I are as ready to go as we can be. We can’t wait to get on track,” he added.

Robotham said it is “surreal” to have the support of Caltex for his Bathurst campaign. “I’m excited to be representing the Caltex Young Stars as Matt, the team and I go to Bathurst to tackle the great race for the first time.

“The build-up, testing and preparation have already been great, but to see the car in its Caltex with Techron livery, alongside all our great supporters, makes it seem much more real. I couldn’t be more ready to go,” he said.

Head of Marketing, Chevron Australia Downstream, Cris Gillespie, said the Bathurst 1000 is an event that features heavily in Caltex’s history of motorsport sponsorship with famous names who have carried its colours in the past.

“We’re proud to be supporting two young stars making their mark in the sport and building on the rich history the Caltex brand has in Australia’s most famous motor race.”

“This is an incredibly exciting way to be involved with Australian Motorsport, at the biggest race of the year and with an ambitious team really looking to challenge the sport’s big names in their Bathurst debut,” he added.

Caltex is a global brand owned by Chevron, one of the world’s leading integrated energy companies with a 70-year history in Australia.

Caltex first appeared as a sponsor in the Bathurst 1000 in 1987, supporting Colin Bond and the Caltex brand has since featured on multiple winners of the great race. Additionally, the Caltex Chase was one of the most well-known sections of the famous 6.213km circuit for a long period. 

The Bathurst 1000 will be held at the Mount Panorama circuit this weekend.