Mackay racer revs up in 2020 Grand Prix

Mackay young gun Declan Fraser to debut at the Formula One Rolex Australian Grand Prix this weekend.

RACING: Mackay young gun Declan Fraser has bounced back from a tough Toyota 86 racing campaign last year, with a debut in the Touring Car Racing (TCR) at the Formula One Rolex Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne this weekend.

The 19-year-old Dalrymple Coal Bay Terminal electrical apprentice started racing when he was eight, after his father Justin bought him his first go-kart.

“I started racing locally in Mackay and when he realised I had a little bit of talent behind me, I started competing nationally around Australia,” Fraser said.

“That’s built up to the position I’m in now.”

After recently returning from racing at TCR Malaysia’s Sepang F1 track, he finished second row in fourth.

Fraser was approached by TCR Australia and Mildun Racing for the opportunity to line up on the grid at Melbourne’s Albert Park this week.

“The one I usually race is Toyota 86 and the TCR is actually a front-wheel driven car and has double the horse speed with different braking technique, paddling shifts and the other differences you get with a higher class race car,” he said.

After facing a challenging season last year, Fraser feels more than ready to take on the new challenges this year.

“Last year was a bit of an up and down year. It started off really well at Philip Island with a win and ended up building a new car which I took for its first run around Bathurst,” he said.

While running second in the championship for most of the series, he slid down to sixth place in the middle of two rounds.

“I had brake problems which led to a couple of incidents and I fell back,” he said.

“But when I went back to my old car, I came back strongly and jumped up in the championship ladder and finished third in the race.”

Fraser finished on the podium in the last race of 2019 at the Newcastle 500, just 42 points away from claiming third place in the 2019 series.

He was then approached by several second tier Supercar teams to do a test and evaluation day, and Fraser didn’t fail to impress, lapping around the Victoria Winton track flawlessly, and without dropping a wheel onto the dirt.

He was then offered a spot in the 2020 drive, backed by his Mackay sponsors, Red Hot Couriers, Thommo Tyres, DrillPro and Brisbane-based company ShapeCut.

Despite the bumpy road last year, Fraser said it was all part of becoming a better driver.

“Every race you compete in improves you a little bit and you get knowledge from who you compete against,” he said.

“I kept pushing forward.”

Fraser flew out on Sunday to get started with testing and seat fittings for the team. It all kicked off yesterday, when practice began, and continues today with the qualifiers and racing from Friday through to Sunday.

“My team is based in Victoria and I might be the only driver with a crew of five or six guys behind me, working on my car. Dad will be there helping as well,” he said.

“The nerves haven’t really come into effect yet, but I guarantee that when I'm on the track they will kick in.

“I’m confident I will get out there and do my best and keep pushing to get to the front.”

Fraser said an opportunity like this could help catapult his career to the TCR National category and even to the international categories.

“We can progress forward to them and if anything comes out of this, I could progress through the series through the year and by the end of next year, I could hopefully get some gigs overseas,” he said.

Fraser is currently looking for sponsors to come on board and help his rising star make waves across the national and international racing scene.

He was approached about racing in the Asian TCR series, but said his sponsors would be better served in Australia as the new TCR series will be televised live on Channel 7 with a new multi-year deal.

Those interested can contact Fraser via his Facebook page Declan Fraser Racing or via email at [e-mail].