MASTERING THE ART OF MOTORSPORT TRANSPORTER MODELLING

A hobby that brings together a family and the broader Supercars transporter community.

Image: Veronica Dean

We had the pleasure of meeting Veronica Dean last week to chat about her incredible Australian motorsport transporter models. Based in Orange, New South Wales, Veronica has always had a passion for craft and having watched her father make models from a young age, it was only a matter of time before she wanted to give it a shot.

The decision to start making her own models was made toward the end of high school and started with cars. She then moved into trucks. Now, Veronica is embarking on her second Supercars transporter model which will see a much smaller version of the popular Brad Jones Racing transporter, affectionately known as Stax Freightliner, brought to life.

We caught up with Veronica last week about all things transporter models.

Thanks for finding the time to speak with us, Veronica! Have you always had the automotive bug?

Veronica Dean: "My dad is in earthmoving, so he has all the trucks and equipment for that. I have always had a fascination with trucks and spent a lot of time with him growing up. My two brothers also love talking about trucks and for that reason, I have to know enough to hold those conversations. I probably still don’t know enough, but that interest has grown as I have gotten older and has become more about that connection with my family. It is also fueled by a keen interest in the Supercars!"

What is the starting point for the trucks and trailers that you are making? Are they built from scratch or are they based on model kits?

VD: "You can buy a variety of different kits based on different models of trucks. Usually they are based on older trucks, rather than modern ones as they have been around for longer. For my first two transporters, I have needed to add extra things and make modifications to the kit that you buy.

Image: Veronica Dean

For the Freightliner Coronado that I am currently making, the newer model wasn’t available. I have had to adapt it to make it look like the real one with some extra accessories. For the Stax model, I have also changed a few things such as shortening the chassis and adding some paint and decals to make it look a bit more realistic. The trailers are scratch built. Dad has these old bits of plastic and with a little bit of research, we got close to the correct sizing! I then drew up a rough sketch on a piece of paper and it looked about right, so we transferred that, cut out four bits of plastic and added the other accessories to make the trailers."

We found some photos of a completed GRM B-Double while scrolling through your Instagram. Was this your first transporter model?

VD: "Yes, that was my first transporter model as well as my first modified one. The other trucks that I made before that were straight out of the kit. It really made me think about all of the extra accessories that needed to go on it to make it look as close to the Garry Rogers Motorsport transporter as I could get it.

Image: Veronica Dean

It took about 18 months to put together all up. The trailers didn’t take as long as the truck once I got them started, but it takes quite a while considering that you are working on and off and coming back to it on weekends. It was very exciting after I finished it because I was in contact with Joe, the truck driver from GRM, and was able to send him off photos and see everyone’s reactions. That made it really special to see what people thought of it.

Image: Veronica Dean

I was able to take it to Bathurst for the 1000 weekend and display it next to the real transporter and take it behind the pits to show the team. This was a really special moment for me, to share this in person with the team. It’s a memory that will stay with me for a long time."

Where is the GRM transporter model now?

VD: "I have it displayed at home. Actually, I’m borrowing my dad’s display box at the moment while I am building my own. It gets moved around the house a fair bit, but it has pride of place in my living room at the minute!"

Image: Veronica Dean

What made you want to replicate Stax Freightliner, the Brad Jones Racing Freightliner Coronado B-Double transporter?

VD: "That can be traced back to my time working on the GRM transporter model. I started following their team in the Supercars championship and when that model was finished, I had a look down pit lane to see what other trucks there were. Paul Eddy’s stood out to me and Brad Jones Racing seems to be a friendly and inviting team as well. It all clicked and I became really interested in building that truck.

Image: Veronica Dean

I loved that Paul took pride in his truck and was willing to share his story. It was great to see the transporter side of Supercars and it is interesting to be able to see some of the behind the scenes pictures."

Paul Eddy is a cult figure in motorsport transporter circles. What sort of feedback has he given you on the model so far?

VD: "He has said that he is loving my work and is keen to see it finished. He has also been sharing it on his social media pages which has been a big positive for me. That is why I have my Instagram page. It lets me show my craft and gives people the opportunity to let me know what they think. I think it’s great that Paul has taken the time to see what I have been doing and to have given his thoughts and feedback."

Are there any other transporters on your radar or is it full focus on Stax right now?

VD: "It has been full focus on Stax, but once I finish this one, I will be looking for my next project. Nothing is set yet, but I am open to any suggestions that people give me! There are a few that catch my eye. It would be great to replicate some other trucks, old and new."

We recently interviewed the driver of Wood Brothers Racing’s NASCAR hauler. Do you keep an eye on any overseas transporters?

VD: “I haven’t looked too closely at overseas transporters aside from seeing some photos. It would definitely be different, as NASCAR isn’t the same as what we do in Australia!”

Would you like to do this as a profession? Or is it better off staying as a hobby?

VD: "It’s more of a hobby, really. I love sitting down and doing it. It is also a great connection with my family. I have two brothers who are also into modelling and my mum does a little bit of it now too. It’s something that we can all sit down together and have a chat about. It’s a really close connection that we have at the minute."

Image: Veronica Dean

Amazingly enough, this is just one of the strings to your bow. What other crafts do you enjoy doing?

VD: "I do paper crafts including birthday cards, Christmas cards and scrapbooking. One of my favourite crafts to do is making toy teddy bears. I also do some other artwork such as drawing and painting as well as some sewing. It’s a wide variety of things!"

We’d like to say another big thank you to Veronica and look forward to more updates on her build over the next couple of months! It’s not the only model transporter in the works either with Jeff Harris sharing this progress photo of a 1:24 Kenworth B-Double transporter on our Facebook page in July.

Be sure to check out what Veronica is up to on her Instagram page. You can ride with the transporter she is currently building on Facebook and Instagram, check out Brad Jones Racing on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and say g’day to the team’s 2017 truck driver, Paul Eddy, on Instagram.

Fans of the GRM transporter can follow its travels on the team’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.