Bryce Fullwood was born and raised in Darwin and worked his way into a V8 Supercar at the age of 16! We had the pleasure of catching up with Bryce just before the start of the 2024 racing season!
How/when did you start your career in V8’s?
It all started when I was 10 years old and my Dad and I went to Hidden Valley Go Kart Club to have some fun on the hire karts. The track was closed for a private event that day, but I was invited to have a try in between races. Being a 10 year old boy with a thirst for driving and racing from a very young age, that first karting experience changed the course of my life, and about 6 months later, I started racing in my own kart.
In the beginning, karting was more of a fun activity for Dad and I and a way to connect as a family, but it quickly turned into a competitive hobby. Not long after starting in my own kart, we went to Tweed Heads for a holiday and my Mum let me race at the local karting event, but we made a deal that my school grades had to improve. During that race weekend, I was absolutely smoked and came last, but it really helped me to learn new competitive skills and I had become 2 seconds quicker when we returned to Darwin.
As we became more serious about karting, Mum and Dad were focused on developing my racing craft and trying to race at more competitive events interstate. In Darwin, we only had 1 significant race every year, but you need to be racing competitively all the time to get ahead. So, we moved our equipment to Melbourne and flew from Darwin to compete in various races interstate. We initially had a goal for me to finish in the top 20, then I found myself on the podium. I didn’t think it would be possible for me to finish on the podium being from Darwin and the interstate competition was tough.
When I was 15, I had already won the national kart championship, so we thought my racing career was worth pursuing even further. My last karting race was the World Championships in Valencia, Spain and we came back and discussed which way we could go in motorsport with a few options (B Grade Supercars, Formula 4 etc.), but there wasn’t a lot of competition in those classes. I thought that if I can drive a Supercar, I should just do that, so I practiced with Greg Murphy in New Zealand and I started improving significantly. After that training experience, we jumped straight into the deep end from karting to V8 Supercars - my first ever Supercar race was the Adelaide 500 at 16 years old!
Did you have an idol/hero growing up?
I really admired Jamie Wincup and Craig Lownes. I really liked Craig for how he treats his fans and gives them his time, regardless of what type of day he is having. I admire Jamie for his success and work ethic, as well as his ability to manage pressure. Jamie always worked the hardest and delivered constantly - I have tried to instil these qualities in my career.
What skills has racing taught you?
For me, racing has taught me to grow up very quickly and to keep following my dreams! Being raised in Darwin, I had to move away quite young to be closer to the action and to learn how real life works, especially managing money, as well as people skills and knowing how to make good business decisions.
My parents had always involved me in the process of seeking sponsorships and managing agreements to help cover the cost of my racing and future career. My Mum helped me create a sponsorship proposal to physically hand to various businesses for support, which was daunting as a teenager approaching large businesses around Winnellie and Greater Darwin. However, the experience was great for showing me how to approach businesses and what information they would want to know. This experience has given me a strong understanding of how these arrangements work and my responsibilities as the recipient, knowing that people have financially invested in my career and success. There’s a bit of pressure - sponsors want to see you continuing to work hard and ‘showing up’ on the track.
Racing is challenging in the sense that it is a bit of a ‘black art’; the effort doesn’t always get rewarded, and you don’t get the results you may expect every time. There are so many factors that can cause a bad race and it can be hard to manage that level of resilience, especially as a young person.
What is your daily routine leading into a race?
We do get pulled around a bit with media commitments and other meetings, but the biggest thing is training on the track five days per week before a race meeting. When I am preparing for a race meeting, I focus on hydration and electrolytes, which I start on the Tuesday before a race weekend. Inside the cars is often 50-55 degrees and you can’t cram your wellbeing into the morning before a race because you sweat so much and you can’t risk cramping up if you don’t stay hydrated.
I also focus on eating well in the lead up to every race, but the nerves generally make it hard to be hungry, so I eat what I feel like I can eat beforehand - wraps and spaghetti are my usual pre-race meals.
Do you find it hard to abide by the speed limit on public roads?
I don’t speed at all! I just want to get there safely and when I see crazy drivers, it makes me a little angry. I get my thrills on the racetrack!
What strategies do you use to manage nerves/stress?
Nerves are always hard to manage, and it can be really uncomfortable before a race. At race events, we drive the car to the grid and then wait for 30 minutes before the race actually starts to meet with spectators and media – it's so difficult to talk when you’re also trying to stay focused. There’s lots of tension before a race, so I try to keep myself occupied and busy to pass the time.
What is the best advice you have received?
To have a big dream. Growing up, I wasn’t sure I couldn’t achieve this dream and I thought it wasn’t possible. But, I’ve met a lot of people who have believed in me and if you keep putting in the effort, people will back you and build a support network around you.
What makes a team great?
When things go wrong, we all pitch in to help out and support each other, which is why we have an amazing team and we create a great atmosphere. Our team schedule is crazy but the camaraderie is incredible; we enjoy spending time together, we travel a lot and we (pretty much) always have a good time!
Favourite place in Darwin?
Hidden Valley race track, of course! I grew up in Darwin and so did my parents, so we love the lifestyle! Channel Point is amazing too and a very special place for our family – we have spent a lot of time there growing up. Overall, the NT is an incredible place to live and explore.
The Top Ender Tri-Services Magazine wishes to sincerely thank Bryce Fullwood for his participation in our exclusive interview and for the amazing support of the Brad Jones Racing Team to organise the interview and images.
Interviewed by Deb Herring Committee Member The Top Ender Magazine