DECLAN Fraser is determined to make amends for his spectacular Repco Bathurst 1000 qualifying mishap after Tickford Racing rebuilt his #56 Tradie Mustang.
The Tickford crew worked through until 1am to complete repairs, which will allow Fraser’s co-driver Tyler Everingham to take part in Practice 5 starting 10am.
Fraser himself feared the worst for his Gen3 Ford after a 56G impact at Reid Park but is relieved to still be in the Great Race hunt.
“56G on the #56 – I don’t know if that’s an omen for the big race,” he told V8 Sleuth.
“I’m alright. I’ve got a bit of lower back pain and my left shoulder is very sore.
“Once we get in the car and the adrenaline picks up we should be all good. I think it’s just a bit of bone bruising more in the left arm because just pressure sort of hurts it. Other than that, feeling good.
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“Probably the biggest thing is I have just got to get back on the horse. I just want to get back out there.
“Two years ago (in Super2) I had the wheel nut fall off at the Grate and then having to sit out of the weekend probably hurt more than getting back in it the next day.
“We’ve got the co-driver session up this morning which Tyler will do obviously all of the laps, and then we’ll probably split the last one between us and try to do some race runs which we haven’t done yet because it’s all sort of been in anger trying to get quali laps.
“We’ll do a couple of race runs, get comfortable again and go from there.”
Reflecting on the incident, Fraser admitted the uncertainty over his future had been playing on his mind, as Tickford prepares to downsize for 2024, only retaining Cam Waters and Thomas Randle.
“It was actually really weird because I know most of the time when you go through there, if you clip the wall it’s normally with the inside-front whereas this time I actually made it through the turn and clipped it with my inside-right-rear and that’s what shot me out,” the 2022 Super2 champion explained.
“So purely a mistake on my behalf, I thought I made it through the whole way.
“The biggest thing for me is there’s a lot of uncertainty around my future at the moment and Bathurst is a perfect place to prove yourself.
“I think I just probably put a little bit too much pressure on myself to go out there and do the best job I could and just overstepped the mark a little bit and tagged the wall and that’s what caused it.
“It’s a shame, I’ve just got to refocus and not to think too much about my future and think more about what’s going on this weekend and go from there.”
Starting tomorrow’s 161-lapper from 28th, he knows that anything’s possible.
“This exact garage won from last in 2014 with Paul (Morris) and Chaz (Mostert) so it’s definitely possible. I will try all I can to make sure we can get the best result,” said the 23-year-old.
