A HIGH-OCTANE CAREER ON THE ROAD
Meet Jeff Mercer from Caboolture, Queensland.
Jeff has been involved in the trucking industry for 27 years with the majority of that stint in interstate driving and motorsport. In 2010, he made it to the very top having enjoyed a Supercars championship-winning season with Jim Beam Racing.
Now, Jeff has stepped back to local work to be at home with his family more often. We had the opportunity to chat with Jeff on Tuesday and reflect on his time driving trucks in the motorsport world.
G’day Jeff! What was your gateway into the motorsport transport world?
Jeff Mercer: “It was through my work for Mark Griffith of Griffith Corporation. I was originally driving interstate for him until he decided to get back into motorsport after a hiatus. It was a natural thing for me to be a part of as a long-term employee. I just happened to step into the role basically. I started with him with just a small car trailer and worked up to a number of B-Doubles only doing race car work.”
Were you interested in motorsport before this opportunity came up?
JM: “For sure! I have spent my whole life around speedway and off-road racing and other forms of motorsport. I have always been a keen racer and competitor as well.”
How did Mark Griffith’s transporters progress over time?
JM: “Well, he was a national champion in a number of different categories years ago and then took a break to build the transport company up. He ended up buying an Aussie Racing Car to play around with on the weekends and burn off some steam. For the first couple of rounds we used an enclosed car trailer towed by the company ute and then we decided that if we were going to do the whole championship, we had to step up. This led to our first small transporter and after three seasons in the Aussie Racing Cars, he moved into the Australian GT championship. This meant buying our first large transporter which was an ex-Larry Perkins Castrol Racing set.”
How did you become involved with Dick Johnson Racing?
JM: “It happened while I was working for Mark Griffith. Basically, I was hired by Jim Beam Racing to drive one of the transporters back in 2010 when James Courtney won the championship. At the time, I wasn’t keen on leaving my employer, so Mark Griffith and I sat down and discussed it and Mark came to an agreement with Charlie Schwerkolt to lease me for a season to run their transporter. I stepped into the Supercars world for a year and then we did some work for Jack Perkins when he was running his Development Series car to keep the hours up.”
Can you tell us about the Supercars world at that time?
JM: “From the truck driver’s point of view, it was great. All the Queensland teams look out for each other and travel together regardless of what brand is in the back of your transporter. We’re all truck drivers at heart. However, when the time comes to be at the track and working, it is a flat chat, 150%. It’s a young man’s game!”
Do you enjoy seeing the success of DJR Team Penske now?
JM: “Most definitely! I stay in touch with a few people from the team and follow their progress. I like to catch up with some guys from the other teams as well. Once you have been on the inside, you are always staying in touch and keeping up to date with things.”
Do you have a favourite moment from your time in the transporter world?
JM: “Being there for DJR when James Courtney took the championship comes to mind. That fight went right down to the line in Sydney and it was one of those moments that I think I will remember forever. The championship was won in pit lane on that day and some of the celebrations were amazing.
“To be there when James Courtney and Steven Johnson qualified on the front row in Hamilton, New Zealand, was also pretty amazing. That was my first trip overseas with the race team.”
Do you have a favourite track to drive to?
JM: “Townsville is a fantastic event for Supercars and for the GT racing community. Darwin also makes for a great time because it’s such a long trip. You are looking at four and a half to five days of travel with a bunch of guys who just want to enjoy it and see the amazing sights.
“In terms of tracks, they all blend into each other after a while! You spend so much time in pit lane and in the garage that you don’t really get to experience the circuit itself. Phillip Island is amazing for the sheer change that goes on from one minute to the next. It can be 35 degrees and then borderline snowing five minutes later. Adelaide is also a fantastic event. If you are a keen photographer or just love the look of exotic cars, it’s one of the best places.”
Have you fully stepped away from the transporter world now?
JM: “I have a friend who runs an Aussie Racing Cars team and has a rigid truck. Occasionally I step up and run that to an event for him and he will fly me home. The behind the scenes work at the track really takes its toll on a lot of people. That’s especially the case with the GT racing because it’s endurance racing. Sometimes you aren’t going to bed until 10 o’clock at night to prepare the car and then you are up at 3am for a 5am start. Emotionally and physically, it takes a lot out of you. You love it, but sometimes you need to step away for a little while.
“I was saying to a couple of friends the other day that the problem with motorsport is that nobody races cars in the middle of the week. You are either on your way to a track, on your way home from a track or you are at a track. Your social life suffers quite dramatically because you are always looking at your next race meeting. When you are running two or three categories out of the one company, you are on the road something like 46 weeks of the year. There is hardly a spare moment to catch your breath.”
What advice would you give to somebody who would like to get into the motorsport truck driving world?
JM: “Every race team has a website that you can go to. Bascially, get a resume together. A lot of guys want to get into it because they think it’s driving a big shiny truck and going to the track to drink beer and watch the racing. You have to be prepared to knuckle down, get dirty and learn about cars. I am a truck driver first and foremost, but I learned very quickly how to do tyres. I was the refuelling guy during pit stops. You always put your truck driver on the most dangerous job in pit lane because everyone in the crowd has a truck licence! You can always get your transporter home at the end of the weekend, so you need to learn all of those procedures.
“The other thing I’ve noticed over the years is when you meet drivers at truck stops, they would often say that they would love to have my job. Without being cruel, the first thing I usually say to them is that a shower, a shave and some clean clothes might help. From the moment you step out of your hotel room or your bunk, you are on display to the world. You are also driving something that there aren’t many of, so if I drive in a dangerous manner, people only have to ring Dick Johnson and they can track the transporter down. You have to change your whole attitude to how you drive and how you present yourself.
“However, as long as you include a keenness for motorsport in your resume, you will get an opportunity eventually. I also tell people to aim low first and look at things like speedway teams and local series before you aim for Supercars.”
Did you enjoy the attention?
JM: “Oh definitely! Nothing beats driving down the road when a car passes you with kids in the back waving their arms. It’s great. People are constantly coming up and asking about the transporter and it’s great to have that interest. Any bloke that doesn’t like attention probably shouldn’t look at motorsport for a job!
However, there are bad days too. Every bloke who thinks he’s the next Bathurst champion will be trying to show off in front of you thinking you have a direct line to the boss. That happens quite regularly."
What’s on your plate at the moment?
JM: “I am based in Brisbane driving a semi as well as a truck and dog tipper at the moment. This allows me to be at home every day. Motorsport is always there though and you are always staying in contact. If somebody is sick or has to leave the industry for a particular reason, you usually get a phone call to ask if you are available. Most weekends now are spent in front of the TV watching what’s going on.
“You do miss the shiny equipment and the attention it brings to you. It is a little bit of an adjustment going back to driving a regular truck during regular hours. The team camaraderie in motorsport is just amazing and everyone has your back. It doesn’t matter what happens in your life because you have a family at home and a family away from home.”