AUSTRALIAN Rally Championship driver Mark Fawcett will make his long-awaited return to competitive racing this weekend at the Scouts Rally at South Australia’s Mt Crawford.
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After more than 18 months away from the sport, the Miners Rest resident will race in the SUV Rally Challenge event – a category he hasn’t had a lot of previous experience in.
“I’m nervous but excited to get back into racing,” Fawcett said.
“I’m just looking forward to getting some experience back and making some preparation and adjustments to the car.
“It’s been a frantic last few weeks and months getting everything into order.”
The dual Victorian champion (2008, 2009) is unfazed about making his return three rounds into this year’s championship, but stresses that he wants to be back in form for the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile world championships held at Coffs Harbour in September.
“My fitness is not where I would like it to be, but I have been doing a lot of cardiovascular and upper body work in preparation,” Fawcett said.
He isn’t the only one going into the race under-done, with his 2003 Porsche Cayenne, a car that Fawcett himself dubs as “unlike any other in Australia,” only having its first test run last weekend.
During his time away from the sport, Fawcett has devoted his time to fixing the car he purchased as little more than a shell, and expanding his business Ballarat Bolts and Fasteners, whose subsidiary BBF Lubricants is a major sponsor of the 4.5-litre, 350-horsepower V8.
“I’m really interested to see how it will go,” Fawcett said.
“It’s bigger and slower than my old Subaru, you could say that it’s like comparing a bus to a car.”
michael.pollock@fairfaxmedia.com.au
