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8 Jun 07 - UD TRUCKS RALLY TO THE CAUSE FOR LEADING AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM

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UD Trucks has announced it will sponsor leading Australian and International rally driver Dean Herridge, providing his Australian Rally Championship team with a new UD MK 245 truck, enabling his Perth based Maximum Motorsport operation to transport its Group N Subaru Impreza WRX and equipment around the nation. The Maximum Motorsport team arguably travels more kilometres each year than any other regular competitors in the Australian Rally Championship, completing the long grind across the Nullarbor five times this year. The team took delivery of the truck in early May and its first journey was across the Nullarbor to the Rally of Canberra, a round of both the Australian and Asia Pacific Rally Championships. According to UD Trucks general manager John Bushell, the company decided to back Dean Herridge and Maximum Motorsport because it felt the team provides valuable promotional opportunities as well as demonstrating some important synergies with UD customers. "Dean and the team will give us some great exposure all around the country as well as providing the opportunity for promotional ride days for our dealers and customers. "However more importantly, with a tough travel schedule, they will really push the MK245 proving its efficiency and reliability," said John Bushell. "Like a lot of small transport operators Maximum Motorsport has to watch its expenditure particularly in terms of fuel use and maintenance. "They can't afford to have the truck let them down when they are on a tight deadline on the other side of the country and the new UD will ensure that they always meet those deadlines," he added. Dean Herridge says the main beneficiary of the new UD will be his father Rob, himself a twice-Australian rally champion and former transporter operator in Western Australia. "Dad is the one who has to take the big drive every time we head East for a rally and he is extremely pleased that he won't have to put up with our old and uncomfortable dual cab pantech now that we have the new UD," said Dean. "The old truck was underpowered, used too much fuel and made the long drive a real chore, the new UD MK 245 is a totally different matter, we now have the power to sit on a reasonable cruising speed and save an enormous amount of fuel, which is vital for a privateer team like us," he added. "UD's support has enabled us to re-direct our resources into other areas that will help us to be on a more competitive footing with our factory backed rivals from Ford and Toyota," he added. The Maximum Motorsport UD MK 245 is fitted with a full pantech body, which has been finished with a spectacular photomural of the team's Subaru at speed. The pantech body provides the team with a mobile workshop and storage for its spares and tyres while the high tech Subaru rally car is towed behind the rig. Herridge, a former Subaru works driver until the company withdrew from the Australian Rally Championship, finished third in the 2006 Championship and is currently the leading privateer sitting in third in this year's title with four rounds remaining. He has won rounds of the Production World Rally Championship (in NZ), the Australian Championship and the Asia Pacific Championship. As well as his Australian commitments Herridge is tackling the Chinese Rally Championship and selected rounds of the Asia Pacific title. The UD MK range boasts a strong GVM of 10,400kg and are powered by the latest technology six cylinder FE6TB turbo and intercooled diesel with electronically controlled injection producing maximum power of 175kW at 2800 rpm and 660 Nm of torque at 1800rpm. UD maintains an Australia wide network of 32 sales, service and parts dealers spanning the country from Perth in the west to Lismore in the east, Cairns in the north and Hobart in the South.