Territory Supercars driver Bryce Fullwood excited for home round in Darwin

The Territory’s own Supercars driver Bryce Fullwood was brought back to where it all begun ahead of his home round in 2023. Read how excited he is to race at Hidden Valley again.

Territorian Bryce Fullwood may be in his fourth year on the Supercars circuit but he still calls the return home every year a “humbling experience”.

The 25-year-old nicknamed the Prince of Darwin has enjoyed a fairly consistent start to the 2023 season, despite his team Brad Jones Racing making the switch from Holden to Chevrolet.

After 12 rounds he sits 14th in the competition standings with his best result being a seventh in the second race at Melbourne.

Now the 2019 Super2 Series winner returns home targeting his best result at Hidden Valley, which would mean cracking the top 10 there for the first time.

“This season has been awesome so far and obviously with the new cars has been really different,” Fullwood said.

“It’s been a really good challenge, everyone’s been up and down like a yoyo, but it’s been really good fun.”

Territorian Bryce Fullwood is excited to be back in Darwin in his fourth season of the Supercars. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Fullwood has been out and about in the community since returning home and even paid a visit to Leanyer Primary school where he went as a kid.

It was an opportunity that allowed him a moment to reflect on how far he had come to become the first — and so far only — Territorian in the top category of Australian racing.

“I went back to Leanyer Primary School where I went and far out, it took me back to when I was that age,” he said.

“I had no idea what was in front of me and where I was going to get in life — to visit was just a really humbling experience for me.

“For me as young kid I felt like it was nearly impossible to be where I am today, I didn’t really feel like it was achievable, to be honest.

“I’m really lucky to be the only Territorian in the category and I really get to feel like this race is mine.”

All the Supercars drivers gathered at Hidden Valley to show off their Indigenous liveries ahead of the 2023 Darwin round. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

It comes as the Darwin Supercars round doubles as the Indigenous round with every car boasting new liveries specially made for the event.

Fullwood’s livery reflects family, which in many ways mirrors his connection to Darwin and the connection he has long held with his family-run sponsor Middy’s Electrical.

“It’s really important having the Indigenous round in Darwin, in the NT we’re brought up so much into the Indigenous culture,” he said.

“It’s really fitting that it’s here and I think everyone loves and appreciates it so much, and it’s really cool that all the teams get around it so much.

“It adds another meaning to the race meeting which for us is already one of the best, and for me obviously is the best.

“Normally we stay in hotels but for me in this round I get to sleep in my own bed and having most of my family up here is really cool.”

King striving high in Darwin Supercars Carrera Cup

Porsche Carrera Cup driver Luke King is aiming for his first top 10 finish in the series as he heads to Darwin as part of the support series to the Supercars Championship this weekend.

The 33-year-old will compete at the Hidden Valley circuit for the first time in his career in three races over the weekend, with practice and qualifying to be held on Friday and Saturday.

But while he might be inexperienced in the series and at the circuit, his family heritage is strong in motorsport.

King is the son of renowned motorsport engineer Brad King who helped prepare the engines for Allan Moffat in 1977 when he finished first at the Bathurst 1000 with a famous 1-2 finish in the factory Ford team.

This will be the second event King is competing at after finishing 14th and 17th in the first two races of the season at the Australian Grand Prix in Victoria.

He expects one corner at the famed Darwin circuit to be the key to his weekend and getting his first top ten in the category.

“I think Darwin is the second biggest straight on the calendar that we have aside from Conrod at Bathurst (Mount Panorama),” King said.

“So it’s a long straight and it’s quite a slow corner that you’re coming into in turn one so having confidence under breaks is going to be a big one there.

“But I have done a fair bit of study on the rest of the circuit and I have studied the on board of my teammate (David Wall) and I think the rest of the track will suit us quite well.

Race driver Luke King with his car at the Melbourne Grand Prix. Picture: Supplied.

Race driver Luke King with his new helmet in Darwin ready for the Porsche Carrera Cup. Picture: Max Hatzoglou

“You’ve got to carry speed through a lot of those slower corners and try and keep the average corner speed up which I feel like I’m fairly good at from previous history in the racing categories that I have been in.

“So I am looking forward to that and I think corner one is going to be the key.”

King made the move up the motorsport ladder after a few seasons in TCR Australia and the Toyota 86 series.

In 2021 he finished fourth in the TCR title and has previously finished second twice in the Toyota 86 series.

He said he was excited about the next adventure with Carrera Cup.

“I always saw myself as a touring racer and that’s where we were with TCR the last couple of seasons but I think how we ended up in Porsche is purely through where our sponsors wanted to be seen,” he said.

“We wanted to come to events like Darwin and Townsville, get our brand out to the national scene.

“It was more what’s the best category for us to do that and that was Porsche for us.”

Luke King's car at the Melbourne Grand Prix. Picture: Supplied.

Reflecting on his career to date, King said he was “really proud” of his results in the Toyota 86 series with his family run team.

“We used to rock up to the race events at the Supercars with my Falcon station wagon and a toolbox in the back along with an open trailer and a race car on it,” he said.

“We had a very good run in that Toyota series and that was very much like Porsche, one make of car so all the cars are basically the same and we did all that out of our family garage.”

Drivers Allan Moffat (L) and Colin Bond finished 1-2 in their XC Ford Falcons in the 1977 Bathurst 1000 race at Mt Panorama circuit in Bathurst. Picture: Photo File

Racing driver Allan Moffat driving 1977 Ford Falcon XC coupe.

King also said he also enjoyed the fact he could live his childhood dream in his racing career.

“The amount of money we have to raise is insane to try and do this,” he said.

“12-year-old Luke would never of dreamed he would be flying to Darwin to raise a Carrera Cup car and here we are so I am just enjoying the ride while it lasts.”

First practice for Porsche Carrera Cup is at 10.05am with qualifying to be held on Saturday at 9.55am before race one is held later in the day.