What is your role at the Red Bull Holden Racing Team?
In a nutshell, it’s anything that doesn’t directly make the cars go faster. While my first role at Triple Eight, back in 2008, was as a mechanic in sub-assembly, these days I’m one part of our little commercial crew where our overarching goal is to keep our amazing family of Team Partners happy and bring the dollars in from various revenue streams for the performance departments to spend.
How long have you been part of the team?
On which side of the world?! I remember going to races in Triple Eight’s British Touring Car Championship days in the 1990s, but my first race under our Aussie guise was Bahrain 2007.
What does a normal working day for you look like at the track, as well as back at the workshop?
To be honest, the variety of each day is why I love it. At the workshop, a normal day could involve everything from coordinating Partner activities to designing race suits. However, my days in the office are currently part-time while I’m completing a law degree. I should note that I’m not about to up sticks for a corporate law firm, it’s purely for fun. But it’s not fun. And track life… it feels like so long since the AGP but if I recall correctly, it mainly involves looking after Team Partners, conducting pit tours, attending appearances with the drivers, running activations and making sure Jamie hasn’t lost another pair of sunnies.
Where does your passion for motorsport and working within Supercars come from?
Despite what people believe, I never had motorsport forced upon me. It’s definitely in my blood, but it’s the collective passion and drive of the teamwork involved in reaching the chequered flag first that got me hooked. Plus, good, hard racing is just one of the best things to watch.
What’s your favourite track on the Supercars calendar and why?
How many am I allowed?! October is the best month of the year because it’s Bathurst into Gold Coast (although not this year… damn you, Covid). And Darwin is high on my list, too. I know it’s not on the Supercars calendar, but can I sneak the Bathurst 12 Hour in there as well? It’s run by Supercars, so I’m saying yes. That is hands down one of my favourite weeks of the year.
What’s your favourite memory in motorsport?
I’ve got two highlights. The first is Bathurst 2008 – being on the wall when we crossed the line for our threepeat was an unbelievably special moment, the gravity of which I don’t think I realised until some time later. The second is of course Newcastle 2017. You don’t have to be a racer or even a sports fan to be utterly blown away by the rollercoaster of that day. If I could bottle and sell that indescribable flood of emotions as the race ended, I would be a millionaire.
What would your advice be for someone interested in a career in Supercars?
You’ve got to have the passion. If it’s just a way for you to pay the bills, you won’t last.
Funniest thing you’ve seen on the road?
I’m going to throw a really cheesy one and say we have so many great laughs altogether that it’s impossible to choose. But that’s a cover up for the fact that so many of my memories have been washed away in a dousing of vodka Red Bull.
