Caltex unite leading duo for marketing campaign.

They may go head-to-head on the track, but Caltex has secured the signatures of the top two drivers from the 2005 V8 Supercar Championship season to lead its national marketing campaigns for the next two years.

Champion Russell Ingall, who clinched his title driving the Caltex Falcon for Stone Brothers Racing, while be joined in the campaign by Team Betta Electrical Craig Lowndes - who will be looking to improve on his championship position to steal the title from Ingall this season.

Ingall admitted he was thrilled to extend his relationship with Caltex for another year and said he was hopeful of defending his title.

"Caltex is moving into its seventh year of a fantastic relationship with Stone Brothers Racing this season and it is great that we will be heading into the championship with the number one on the side of Caltex Falcon," he said. "I am delighted that I have extended my personal relationship with Caltex and that we will be working on some exciting projects in 2006. Caltex has some fantastic people and products and I will personally be working as hard as I can to keep it number one on and off the race track."

Caltex's arrangement with Lowndes, who is also a former Bathurst winner and V8 Supercar champion, is an extension of its current deal with the Triple Eight Race Engineering that run his Falcon.

"Caltex is everything that you need to be at the top of your game," he said. "They have strong values for their people and are constantly striving for performance excellence.

"The Caltex team is very familiar with the pressures of V8 Supercar racing and clearly have what it takes to be a leader in their field. I am looking forward to working closely with them."

Caltex national manager of brand and communications Liz Whiteway said the company was delighted to have the two current leading lights of the championship as ambassadors for its products.

"It is very exciting for Caltex to have two ambassadors the calibre of Russell and Craig representing our company and as spokesmen for our products," she said. "We are delighted to have them on board.

"We intend to involve both drivers across a whole range of media, marketing and PR initiatives as we ensure a link between the sport's leading drivers and the market's leading fuel and lubricant products.

"The personal partnerships with Russell and Craig also help us leverage the strong relationships we have built with Stone Brothers Racing and Triple Eight Race Engineering respectively."