SUPERCARS rookie Declan Fraser was so keen to make his first race in Newcastle a success he flew to the city weeks in advance and drove around the half-built street circuit in a hire car.
The new Tickford Racing driver, who has joined the Melbourne-based team with little more than 50 days to go until Supercars' opening race of 2023, will make his debut as a full-time driver at the Newcastle 500, which returns after a three-year hiatus on March 10-12.
Fraser's Tickford appointment, replacing Jake Kostecki who exited last week, all but completes Supercars' grid line-up for this year.
Originally of Mackay but now based on the Gold Coast, Fraser enters Supercars after winning the Super 2 Series last year.
The 22-year-old made his Supercars debut as a co-driver alongside Craig Lowndes at Bathurst last year, but Newcastle will be his first race as a standalone driver.
He is hoping laps around Newcastle's street circuit in the Toyota 86 Race Series can help him hit the ground running in the top category.
"I actually won my first-ever car event at Newcastle in the Toyota 86 Race Series in 2018," Fraser, speaking to the Newcastle Herald, said.
"I absolutely love the track. The circuit itself in length is relatively large, but the width of the track is very narrow.
"I remember in an 86 it felt narrow, so I can only imagine what it's going to be like in a Supercar. I love street circuits, and the atmosphere that Newcastle is brings, it's pretty spectacular.
"We haven't been there for a few years, so I'm excited to be back. It's going to be my first time in the main game there and my first time in a Supercar there. There's a lot of firsts for me in Newcastle."
While only young, Fraser's preparation for races shows maturity beyond his years. In 2018, ahead of his debut at Newcastle in the 86 series, Fraser flew to the Hunter and drove the streets of Newcastle's east end in a rented hire car to get a feel for the circuit.
It is an endeavour he has completed for other street races, while also jumping in for a "hot lap" - where you sit in the passenger seat of a Supercar - to get an understanding of permanent circuits.
"Driving the track in anything is massive," Fraser said. "The first time I went to Bathurst, we actually went there a week early in a hire car, and obviously you can't go fast because of the speed limit, but I went there just to look around the track.
"It's just making sure you're fully prepared mentally before you get there.
"Having those laps at Newcastle in 2018 and 2019 when we raced the 86, it's really, really beneficial.
"We actually done the same thing at Newcastle as Bathurst - we went there probably two weeks early in a hire car familiarising myself with the place and making sure I knew every little characteristic of the track."
In his second Super 2 season last year, Fraser won four of 11 races. He will be one of seven Super 2 champions on this year's Supercars grid.
"Getting from Super 2 to the main game is a really tough step to make, especially from a financial perspective, so to have ... Tickford Racing offer me this drive on performance is really special," Fraser said.
"It shows that Super 2 is a great platform to prepare young drivers for the main game, and I'm really looking forward to the opportunity."
Part of Tickford Racing's four-car team, Fraser will drive the unmistakable TRADIE Mustang in 2023.
"I've actually ... 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," he said.
With Supercars introducing its Gen 3 era of vehicles this year, Fraser is essentially skipping a generation of car coming from Super 2. Newcastle will also be the first race featuring Chevrolet Camaros, which replace the Holden Commodore.
With his team, and others, waiting on parts - time with the new type of vehicle will be limited. Fraser is hoping to complete at least one test day before Newcastle.
"It's going to be interesting the first couple of months," he said of joining Tickford.
"We're only a month-and-a-half out from the first race.
"We won't have too much time to really get it ready, but from what I can see the team looks like it is steps ahead of other teams in terms of car preparation."
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