Tickford signs Declan Fraser to Tradie Racing from 2023

TICKFORD RACING – FRASER JOINS TICKFORD FOR 2023

13 January, 2023

Tickford Racing has signed reigning Dunlop Super2 Series champion Declan Fraser for the 2023 Supercars Championship season, where the 22-year old will take the wheel of the Tradie Ford Mustang for his first full season at the top level of Australian motorsport.

The Mackay native comes to Tickford after a pair of years in the Dunlop Super2 Series, having scored the2022 series crown on the back of four wins and four poles in the 11-race campaign. Fraser also made hisSupercars and Bathurst 1000 debut in 2022, driving a wildcard entry with Triple Eight Race Engineering to an impressive eighth-place finish in the Great Race.

“It’s a pretty special feeling,” Fraser said of the news. “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 and everyone 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, I can’t wait to get started.”

The young Queenslander also noted the introduction of Gen3 Supercars in 2023 as a prime opportunity to step into the top tier of the sport, and is eager to help contribute to Tickford’s Gen3 development. 

“I’ve been in a big team before, but obviously that was in a Super2 role,” Fraser commented. “I’m excited to see how Tickford go about their main game team and want to learn just as much as possible. I think this year is the perfect time to jump into the main game with Gen3 coming along, it levels the playing field for everyone. We’re a four-car team, and Tickford has a lot of experience in developing cars, of course Thomas (Randle) and I will have our rookie test days as well, so we’ll have a fair bit of track time and hopefully we can put all that together and have a really strong year.”

The arrival Tickford’s ‘draftee’ comes along with the continued support of workwear and underwear brand, Tradie, which will serve as naming rights partner of Fraser’s Ford Mustang. Tradie CEO and founder Ben Goodfellow joined Edwards in welcoming Fraser to the team ahead of what will be the sixth season of partnership between Tradie and Tickford Racing.

“We’re very excited to have Declan joining Tickford and the Tradie Racing crew from 2023,” Goodfellow said. “He had a huge 2022 on-track doing an awesome job in Super2 and the Bathurst 1000, so we’re very happy to welcome him to the team. Our relationship with Tickford has grown through the years so we are thrilled to be continuing that, and personally I’m stoked to know we’ll have a young sparky racing the Tradie car, it’s an awesome fit for the Tradie brand. We’re confident Declan will do a great job on and off the track for Tradie Racing, we’re really looking forward to working with him in our continued partnership with Tickford, and we can’t wait to get the 2023 season underway.”

Tickford Racing co-owner Rod Nash praised the team’s new arrival, who will go from 2022 rival to 2023 protégé with the Melbourne-based squad.

“We are delighted to welcome Declan to the team with Tradie Racing for the 2023 season,” Nash said. “Declan has come along well in Super2 over the last couple of seasons and has developed into a strong young driver, we’re very happy to have him join the team. When the circumstances came about to bring a new driver into the team we decided to look for the best available, a lot like you see in a footy draft, and we feel that Declan is as primed as anyone for this opportunity, so we are excited to welcome him ahead of the 2023 season.

“We are also very pleased to continue with Tradie as the naming rights partner of Declan’s Ford Mustang,” Nash continued. “We have had a fantastic relationship with the Tradie team for several years which has continued to grow, and Declan will be a fantastic ambassador for the brand on and off the track. It is an exciting start to an exciting year ahead for our team, and we are looking forward to hitting the track with our Gen3 Mustangs in the coming weeks.”

Tim Edwards, CEO and Team Principal of Tickford Racing, added to Nash’s comments in welcoming the young gun to the team as its crew prepares its four Gen3 Ford Mustangs in the lead up to the upcoming Supercars Championship season.

“It’s funny how things work,” Edwards said. “We went into Adelaide 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 for 2023. This sport works in strange ways sometimes, but Declan has all the qualities you look for in a young driver, so we are excited to work with him and are confident he will do a fine job for the team. We are very enthusiastic about having him on board and are looking forward to getting him behind the wheel of the Tradie Ford Mustang in a few short weeks.”

Edwards also provided further comment on Tickford Racing development driver Zak Best, who finished second to Fraser in the 2022 Super2 Series standings. The team plans to continue its development path for the 21-year old, which includes main game racing opportunities in 2023.

“We are working on a plan with Zak,” Edwards noted. “Our goal, absolutely, is to position him for success in the main game, and we certainly see a bright future for him in this category. We have a strong belief in Zak’s potential, and intend to work with him very closely in 2023 to continue preparing him to fulfill that potential.”

Declan Fraser joins Tickford Racing’s established driver line up for the 2023 Supercars Championship, which include 2010 series champion James Courtney, two-time championship runner-up Cam Waters, and rising star Thomas Randle. The team will hit the track for the first time in early 2023 for pre-season testingahead of opening round of the 2023 Supercars Championship, the Newcastle 500, taking place March 10-12 on the streets of Newcastle, NSW.

Ends.