Declan Fraser joins Craig Lowndes for Triple Eight in Bathurst 1000

Mackay’s Declan Fraser will make his debut on Australia’s fastest track, sharing the Supercheap Auto-backed Triple Eight wildcard at the 2022 Bathurst 1000 with legend Craig Lowndes.

Mackay product Declan Fraser is living his childhood dream.

Not only will he debut on Australia’s fastest track at the Bathurst 1000, he will saddle up beside a man he has idolised since he started driving at just seven years old.

Fraser, or Decca, is the Triple Eight wildcard entry alongside Craig Lowndes who will make his 29th consecutive Great Start alongside the 21-year-old.

And dad Justin Fraser could not be more proud.

“They let Declan know about six weeks ago he got the drive but he had to keep it under wraps - it has been hard as hell,” Justin said.

“There was lots of speculation around it - it was between him and his teammate in the Super2 series.

“But he had the goods, on and off the track, and Supercheap believe he was the right fit.”

Decca, now based on the Gold Coast to tap into motorsports’ greater exposure down south, has carved his name into the right circles, impressing some of the biggest names in the sport to be named in the wildcard.

“This is his first year racing for Triple Eight and the Red Bull team, and I think it’s definitely opened a lot of doors,” his dad said.

From racing go-carts around Mackay to chasing competition around Australia, representing his country in Supernats in Las Vegas three times as a junior go-karter, Decca’s ride to the driver’s seat has been impressive.

He also won the Race of Stars in 2016.

And it is as much an investment for his family as it is for the driver.

The Fraser clan replicated Decca’s Mackay-based go-kart kit in Victoria, which allowed him to concentrate on his racing, racking up the wins and exposure as he went.

“He’s been doing it a long time, there’s a lot of sacrifices along the way and he doesn’t get to go to birthday parties and things like that,” his dad said.

He said it was as much about skill as attitude.

Declan Fraser in action at the Townsville Supercars in 2020. Picture: Evan Morgan

“That’s what the hierarchy at Supercheap said was one of the major factors - his down to earth, humble attitude,” Justin said.

When Decca lines up at Bathurst in October, it will mark about 10 months on from a harrowing 200km/h crash during the Practice 2 for the Super2 Series last year.

Decca suffered a concussion in the high-speed crash caused when a wheel nut flung off as he rounded a bend at the top of the mountain.

His dad, watching from the pit lane, said it looked “fair life-threatening”.

“Declan had a massive accident last year; there was a failure in the pit stop and one of the pit crew put the wrong wheel nut on and the nut let go at 200km/h,” he said.

“He went into the wall backwards. He was pretty lucky to walk away from that one.”

The concussion kept him out of that weekend’s racing, but Decca was given the all-clear the next day.

But watching a crash at those speeds is not easy.

Declan Fraser are the Triple Eight wildcard entry for Bathurst 1000. Picture: Triple Eight/Supplied

“Your heart is on your mouth until you see them,” Justin said.

“Then it’s, ‘I wonder how much that’s gonna cost me’.”

Fraser returned to Bathurst about five weeks ago for the Bathurst 12-hour in a Marc 2 car and was leading his class, but experienced engine failure.

He had to retire from the race.

He is now focused on success come October. But just the experience of learning from Lowndes - whose own mentor was the late Peter Brock - is enough to firm up his name in racing circles.

Declan Fraser's car was left worse for wear after a huge crash at Bathurst.

“Craig obviously has lots to do with Triple Eight … and is part of the mentoring program at Red Bull so he is mentoring Declan,” Justin said.

“And it sounded like from what Craig said, he was just as happy.”

Decca’s rise through the ranks is something his dad is keen to see replicated for other young aspiring drivers, including one day having a track in the Mackay region to cut travel times and costs.

A lofty dream but with Decca’s success, his dad doesn’t think it is outside the realm of total possibility.

“If there was something that could come out of this it’s for the Mackay region to get behind Declan,” he said.

The next round is at Townsville which they consider Declan’s home track.

“To get sponsors to support him locally, that would be awesome.

“It takes a lot of money to race at this level.”