COVER STORY
COOLDRIVE GOES FULL THROTTLE
Performance and motorsport is in the very DNA of CoolDrive Auto Parts The Australian family owned and operated company’s involvement in the fields of performance and motorsport has been accelerating in 2021 on multiple fronts.
Racer Industries recognises the passion our customers evidently have for motorsport, with this opportunity allowing us to support the industry via an entirely new avenue.
With the market-leading supplier Racer Industries joining the CoolDrive fold, the addition of new performance-focused product lines, and the creation of the Blanchard Racing Team (BRT) and CoolDrive Racing in the Supercars Championship, the business has quickly developed a highperformance edge.
“We hope to become the industry benchmark with our levels of customer and technical support, our ever-growing product range containing world-class brands, as well as our investment in knowledge and people.
Racer Industries joins CoolDrive At the forefront of the push into the performance and motorsport space has been the addition of Racer Industries to CoolDrive Auto Parts, which sees the racing-focused brand’s inventory available through CoolDrive’s online platform, iShop, plus the nationwide network of CoolDrive branches. “CoolDrive has been expanding its performance product offering in recent years, and this move allows us to significantly expand our performance product range, while adding the racing specific offering to complement it,” CoolDrive Auto Parts Managing Director, John Blanchard, said. “It’s a natural progression; our investment in
“The motorsport community is very loyal, and just like CoolDrive, it is effectively one big family, so we look forward to supporting them more and more.” A long-time identity within motorsport circles, Ryan McLeod has been the driving force behind Racer Industry’s growth, and is excited about the future. “Using CoolDrive’s extensive and renowned national trade and distribution network, we will be able to offer all trade customers direct access to our range of racing products. This is an industry first in Australia and is big news for our customers and suppliers,” Ryan said. “We see huge potential for Racer in the coming years, especially in the trade industry where CoolDrive is so well known to provide a service on a national level not many others can replicate.”
CoolDrive Business Development Manager – Performance, Mathew Nilsson.
The Racer Industries product range covers the entire gamut of motor racing parts and components, from leading brands including Aerocatch, Sparco, Racetech, Joes, Racelogic, Bosch Motorsport, Lifeline, Longacre, Tilton, Premier Fuel, Schroth and Teknofibra, to name a few. The offering includes race seats, fire systems, helmets, suits, gloves, simulators, steering wheels, gauges, fittings, radio systems, engine management and specialist Hyundai Excel race car systems. A particular highlight is the legendary range of Sparco apparel and accessories, with the Martini Racing and ‘Fast & Furious’ collections available now, and the hotly anticipated 2022 line-up soon to launch. As a function of the partnership, CoolDrive has also taken over the distribution of Project Mu high-end braking products to further enhance its comprehensive brakes program, which currently includes other well-known brands, including Bremtec, Brembo, Bosch, Fremax and Akebono. CoolDrive is also handling the supply of categoryspecific items, including the control wheels, fire systems and fuel cells for the Supercars category, where Racer Industries is the sole appointed supplier. Complemented via retail sales to the general public by Racer Industries from its base in South-East Queensland and online via www.racerindustries. com.au, the product offering caters to everyone from track day enthusiasts to performance workshops, extending to the professional tiers of the sport. In addition to the current locations at Acacia Ridge and Gold Coast, CoolDrive is also planning a significant expansion to the footprint of Racer Industries with additional showrooms set to open
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Australian Automotive Aftermarket Magazine November 2021