The visit coincided with the Gold Coast team’s trip south to the Sandown 500

Leading friction material and brake component manufacturer, Bendix, recently opened the doors of its Ballarat production and engineering facility to the public, motor racing fans and stakeholders, as part of its Bendix Racing Open Day.
The event included appearances and a Q&A session with Bendix Racing Supercar driver Nick Percat and co-driver, Dylan O’Keeffe, along with team owner, Matt Stone.
Attendees also participated in a ‘meet and greet’ with the drivers, took photos and had merchandise signed. Additionally, they were able to get up close to Nick’s race car and the team’s impressive transporter.
The occasion also threw the spotlight on Bendix’s Australian manufacturing and engineering capabilities, with attendees given guided tours of the production facility along with the recently refurbished warehouse.
Other experiences included kids’ face painting and activity zones, and raffles and door prizes, while a complementary barbeque kept the masses fed.
Bendix states that it is the only remaining brake manufacturer in Australia, and in his first visit to the Bendix facility, Nick Percat said he was impressed with the level of research, development and quality assurance that goes into every set of brake pads.
“Good braking plays a huge role on the race track, but it is even more important on public roads where conditions are not controlled and choosing the right brake package is paramount to overall driving safety,” Nick said.
“Many people probably don’t give much thought to brake pads, rotors and related, but it is comforting to know the effort that Bendix goes to in developing its range – there is a huge focus on local engineering, local testing and of course, local manufacturing which I saw firsthand (at the open day).”

For more from Bendix, visit www.bendix.com.au