Declan Fraser joins Tickford Racing
Declan Fraser has officially joined the Repco Supercars Championship, after signing with Tickford Racing in January. The young Queenslander will pilot the ‘Tradie Racing’ Gen3 Mustang for the 2023 season, replacing Jake Kostecki, who was axed after one year of a two-year deal.
Fraser won last year’s Dunlop Super2 Series Championship and also made his Bathurst 1000 debut as a co-driver alongside Craig Lowndes in a Triple Eight-supported wildcard entry; a pairing that resulted in an eighth-place finish in The Great Race.
“It’s a pretty special feeling,” the 22-year-old from Mackay said after the deal was confirmed on 13 January. “At the end of the Super2 season, we didn’t really know where we were heading for 2023, so to get the call from Tim [Edwards, Tickford Racing CEO] was pretty exciting.
“Getting from Super2 to the main game is a really tough step to make, especially from a financial perspective, so to have Tim and the team at Tickford Racing offer me this drive on performance is really special. It shows that Super2 is a great platform to prepare young drivers for the main game, and I’m really looking forward to the opportunity.
“It’s awesome to be representing Tradie as well, I’ve actually done four years of apprenticeship and have my tradesman’s certificate as an electrician. It’s a funny coincidence, but really cool to partner up with such a fun brand in Tradie.”
Tickford Racing co-owner Rod Nash described Fraser as a “strong young driver” who is “as primed as anyone for this opportunity”, while Edwards said the new addition to Tickford Racing’s driver lineup (alongside Cam Waters, James Courtney and Thomas Randle) has all the qualities the team were looking for in a young driver.
“It’s funny how things work,” Edwards added. “We went into Adelaide [2022’s season finale] trying to beat Declan in Super2, and here we are a few weeks later preparing him to suit up with us in the main game.”
Fraser’s Supercars race debut will be at the Thrifty Newcastle 500 on 10-12 March.
