M-B Actros Goes Racing with Red Bull

News

25 Feb

Red Bull Ampol Racing rolled out its new Mercedes-Benz Actros transporter at the first round of the 2025 Supercars Championship at the weekend.

Fresh from a season that saw its drivers Will Brown and Broc Feeney finish first and second in the series, Red Bull Ampol Racing has welcomed a fresh Actros 2663 truck cab to take over transporter towing duties.

The Triple Eight Race Engineering outfit operated a 2663 from the start of the 2021 season but upgraded to a new 2663 with the premium GigaSpace cab that provides more space for the driver.

The 16-litre Actros puts out 625hp of power, which is not too far away from the ‘635hp-plus’ output of Red Bull Ampol Racing Camaro it hauls, but the big Benz also generates 3000Nm of torque – just a tad more than the race cars

In addition to the 2663 for the Red Bull Ampol Racing team, Triple Eight Race Engineering also added a new Mercedes-Benz 2663 for its Super2 squad.

Daimler Truck Australia boss, Daniel Whitehead, says he’s excited to see a new Actros hauling the Red Bull Ampol Racing transporter.

“Triple Eight Race Engineering has an unmatched history of success and Daimler Truck is thrilled to see our new truck in their colours. Jamie (Whincup) and the rest of the team understand the value of quality equipment, innovation and safety technology better than anyone else, so it makes sense for them to continue using the most advanced heavy vehicles available in Australia.”

For his part, Whincup, who holds a Multi Combination Heavy Vehicle licence and is Triple Eight Race Engineering Managing Director, says the team is ‘stoked’ to take delivery of the new Mercedes-Benz trucks.

“We like to surround ourselves with market leaders – and when you have such world-leading, top of the range products like the 2663, it’s a no brainer for us. When you have millions of dollars worth of equipment, and some very special race cars travelling across the country, we want them to make it to each location safely and securely.”

The seven-time Supercar champion says he’s looking forward to driving the Actros 2663.

“I’ll take any opportunity I can to get behind the wheel.”

The GigaSpace cab introduces a new level of practicality for Actros drivers featuring 2.13 metres of interior height, measured from the floor between the seats to the ceiling which provides ample room for the tallest drivers. At 182 cm Whincup should have no trouble wandering around the cab.

Other benefits of the GigaSpace cab include the increased storage with three large cupboards built into the front of the truck, sitting above the windscreen. An optional microwave can be installed in the centre cupboard.

The Actros features Predictive Powertrain Control, which uses topographic map data and GPS information to help the truck anticipate terrain and select the optimum shift pattern and engine response for maximum fuel economy.

It also features two 12-inch customisable tablet screens that present information in super crisp detail, giving the driver more control and information, and frankly, looks schmick to boot.