Behind every great driver is a great team: the people who keep the wheels turning – literally.
Car #97’s Number One mechanic, Jarrad Farrell, or J-Rod for short, hates the spotlight as much as we hate losing a race that we had in the bag.
J-Rod and his side kick Jordy (Jordan Repetto) are like peas in a Triple Eight pod, and they have the job of working on SVG’s ZB Commodore for the second year running.
It’s a high pressure job with long hours (that part sucks), but when everything goes right it is really, REALLY satisfying. From the car build all the way through to the final pit stop on race day, these guys don’t stop.
“If we’re at the workshop, we’re preparing the cars – stripping them down, putting them back together and checking them over – making sure they’re good to race. When we’re at the track it’s a whole different thing – it’s getting ready to go racing,” J-Rod tells us.
You’ve just got to look around the workshop and see all the surfboards on the wall to know they must be doing something right.
“It’s awesome to be part of such a successful team. It’s hard work and it’s long hours but you get rewarded for it at the end.”
Like J-Rod, Ty Freele knows the ropes at Triple Eight well. He has been here from the start, spending time between the development series and working with J-Dub’s team.
As J-Dub’s number one mechanic, ‘Tybo’, has seen the triumphs – and some bumps – while being in charge of car #88, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“It’s a big family. If you’re loyal to this family, they’re loyal back to you,” said Tybo.
“There’s always something different on the go. There’s always a different target to hit and that keeps it pretty interesting.”
Tybo reckons that J-Dub’s dedication is second-to-none, and we think he’s right! He’s won seven championships and four Bathurst 1000 titles after all.
“He’s very professional, I’ve never seen anyone with more willpower in my life. He’s a great bloke to work with.”
And his one gripe with the workshop?
“The boys always have the air-conditioning too cold. It’s always too cold in there!”
