Fraser returns to Triple Eight

Declan Fraser will make his return to Triple Eight Race Engineering in the 2024 GT World Challenge Australia season.

Fraser will share Triple Eight’s only Pro-Am full-time contender, the #888 Mercedes AMG GT3, with the experienced Peter Hackett with the team dovetailing its Aussie assault with its Intercontinental GT Challenge campaign.

The current Brad Jones Racing co-driver returns to the team after a challenging rookie Supercars campaign with Tickford in 2023.

Fraser finished 24th in the championship with just the one top 10 result in round 2 at Albert Park.

He now returns to Triple Eight where not only did he win four races in Super2, but also shared the #888 Supercheap Auto wildcard with Craig Lowndes and secured a record eighth place finish at the 2022 Bathurst 1000.

Whilst Fraser is no stranger to Triple Eight, he has limited experience in GT racing having never raced a GT3 car before and only made a one-off GT4 appearance at Sandown back in 2022.

This is why he will be “leaning on” Hackett but is excited for the new challenge at a familiar home.

“It’s cool to team up again with Triple Eight. I won the Super2 title with them, coming back into a professional class, I’m really excited to get underway,” said Fraser.

“I have never raced a GT3 car. The only time I have raced this style of car was a one-off race at Sandown in GT4, but we have a test day at Queensland Raceway beforehand, plus plenty of practice miles at Phillip Island leading into the event.

“Going to Phillip Island is going to give me the best grasp on how the cars react, trusting the aerodynamics, trusting the tyre. A Supercar has a fair bit of aero, but a GT3 car has even more, so I will need to learn as I go.

“Triple Eight has such a plethora of information and data with these cars, and Peter Hackett has raced them so many times. I’m really going to lean on his experience to understand how the cars work.

“We’ve assembled an amazing combination for this entry – drivers, team and car. Pete has done so much, and so has the team. I’m really confident that we are going to have a good result.”

Hackett is on the opposite end of the experience spectrum having been a GT racing veteran, winning the 2017 Australian GT Championship and standing on the podium in the 2012 Bathurst 12 Hour.

His last race in the GT World Challenge Australia was in 2022 with Prince Jefri Ibrahim as he has spent most of his recent time conducting on track experiences for Mercedes Benz and AMG in South East Asia.

Hackett is re energised to go racing again at home.

“It’s super exciting for me. I’ve been in this championship in various guises over the years, but not since I won with Dom (Storey) in 2017 and it’s a title that I’d love to win again,” said Hackett.

“I’m honoured to be part of Triple Eight again. I know how much they want to win and I’m keen to be part of its assault on the title.

“We know that Declan is fast. Anyone who drives a race car as well as he does can get the job done in GT cars. 

“I’m looking forward to helping him out as he gets used to the class, but I’m under no illusions that he is the gold rated driver and I’m the bronze. My job is to bring the car home safe for him.

“It’s really cool that guys like Declan want to be in the GT World Challenge too. It says a lot for the championship as it moves forward.”

The GT World Challenge Australia season begins at Phillip Island on April 12-14.

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