Supercars Championship rookie Declan Fraser returns ‘home’ for iconic race
Whether it’s fact or fancy, it’s generally accepted that little boys dream of being something exciting when they grow up – like an astronaut, a fireman, or a racing car driver. For this NQ man, his boyhood dream became a reality.
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Whether it’s fact or fancy, it’s generally accepted that little boys dream of being something exciting when they grow up – like an astronaut, a fireman, or a racing car driver.
For one little boy from Mackay, the last of these has indeed become a reality.
Declan Fraser, 22, will this month be North Queensland’s hope for a ‘hometown’ victory when he competes for the first time as a rookie in the Supercars Championship in Townsville from July 7-9.
‘Decca’, as he is known to his mates and fellow drivers, has come a long way since he was a little tacker whose goal was to emulate his hero, Craig Lowndes, a legend in the Supercars world.
“I was always interested in him, on and off the track,” Fraser told The Bulletin as he prepared for next weekend’s event, at which he will be the first North Queensland driver to compete.
A treasured memento is a photo of Declan as a young lad of no more than six years old with Lowndes, his beaming smile and thumbs-up showing his delight at meeting his hero.
“I’ve always looked up to him, and last year I was partnered with him, which was really exciting,” said Fraser. “I spent basically the whole of 2022 with him, he’s been a wonderful mentor to me.”
Like Lowndes, Fraser started out racing go-karts at a young age – the classic first step for an aspiring professional driver.
“My family moved from Castlemaine in Victoria to Mackay when I was six and I started in karts when I was eight years old,” he said.
“It’s been a long journey, but karts are a really good grounding for racing.”
At age 16, Fraser stepped up to V8s, competing in the Toyota 86 series in 2017-2019, notching up a couple of wins and placing fourth overall in 2019, as a member of the Paul Morris Motorsport team, before joining Anderson Motorsport in 2020 for a crack at the Super3 title.
The young gun was called up to the Dunlop Super2 Series with title-winning team MW Motorsport following his Super3 stint.
The Dunlop Series, made up of Super2 and Super3, is a critical stepping stone in driver development, the pathway to the Repco Supercars Championship and a place where a young driver can hone their skills and showcase their talent in front of the championship teams.
Last year, Fraser won the Super2 title for Triple Eight, beating future main game rivals Matt Payne and Cameron Hill, his only ever win in Townsville. He also made his Bathurst debut as a wildcard entry in the Bathurst 1000, where he co-drove alongside Craig Lowndes, and finished a standout eighth.
He said the experience was “one of the highlights of my life”.
“Bathurst is the pinnacle event – there is such great history behind it,” he said.
But while that was a really memorable and significant step along his path, Fraser said he’s very excited to get back to Townsville.
“It’s my home track – the closest one to Mackay – so it has a lot of good memories for me,” he said. “My Mum and Dad will be there trackside, and there’ll be lots of friends and supporters, so I’m really looking forward to it.”
The 2023 Supercars Championship will be Fraser’s first time racing on his home track at the highest level.
He now races for one of Ford’s biggest teams, Tickford Racing, and will take the wheel of the Tradie Ford Mustang for his first full season at the top level of Australian motorsport.
“It’s street circuit, and the Townsville circuit has a lot of concrete walls, so there’s no run-off,” he said. “It adds a bit more risk but it’s a pretty cool circuit.”
He agreed he had not chosen a safe career. Asked what attracted him to this risky business, Fraser said it was the rush.
“You have to be a little bit insane to be a race car driver,” he said with a laugh.
“As a kid I really liked the feel of being in control of this machine, the speed, the rush of racing was a big thing. It still is.
“But I also love that it’s not just you out there. There’s so many people behind you – it’s like one big family. The crew, the sponsors, fellow drivers, we’re all in it together.
“I’m very grateful to my sponsors and the support from all the team behind me.”
He said training was an important element and he sticks to a strenuous fitness regime, including running, gym work and healthy eating.
“Fitness is important, it’s a pretty physical sport, it’s not just sitting there pressing a few pedals, it’s quite demanding,” he said.
“It’s pretty hot in the car on a circuit like Townsville, the concrete walls push up the temperature and it’s about 20 degrees hotter inside the car than outside. We wear cool suits, but even so, it’s challenging.
“There’s a lot going on in your mind too – you have to be very alert, always anticipating what’s coming next, the next bend, what other drivers are doing.”
Fraser said it took a long time for him to “fall in love with the training”, but now when he gets out of bed, he’s looking forward to going for a run.
“The old saying is true: If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day of your life.”
Fraser said he was keen to get back to Townsville and compete in the Supercars. “It’s a very high level, so I’m super excited,” he said.
Originally published as Supercars Championship rookie Declan Fraser returns ‘home’ for iconic race
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