Nathan’s Bathurst 6 Hour trophy is almost as big as these Bonnyrigg Heights Primary School students! [MPix photo]
Students at Bonnyrigg Heights Primary school in western Sydney had the opportunity to find out what it’s like to be a racing driver when DPO motor racing ambassador Nathan Morcom visited recently.
Nathan, who is DPO’s Operations Manager when he isn’t tearing around the nation’s racetracks, is a front runner in this year’s Australian GT Championship driving the DPO-Rondo-CSR McLaren 650S GT3.
He also races DPO’s BMW 335i in long-distance production touring car races, usually paired with V8 Supercars ace Chaz Mostert. Their latest victory was at the Bathurst 6 Hour race last Easter.
Nathan started racing at age eight in go-karts, winning winning numerous state and national championships before graduating to Formula Ford and Formula 3 openwheel racing cars. Racing stints in the USA and Europe followed.
He rates the Bathurst 6 Hour win as one of the highlights of his motorsport career to date, although he’s even more eager to win the Australian GT Championship.
“I’m always trying to win,” he told the attentive audience of more than 100 Bonnyrigg Heights Primary students in the school hall. “I’ve had a good start to the series with my first GT race win in the second round at Albert Park, and now I’m looking for more!
“I’m hoping for good results in the remaining rounds. The championship finishes at Highlands in New Zealand in November, and I haven’t raced there before so it’ll be a new challenge.
“If everything goes alright, I might be able to win the championship there!”
After talking about his racing experiences, Nathan answered the students’ questions. Then there was time for them to inspect the DPO-Rondo-CSR BMW 335i in the school playground.
There was a long queue of students waiting to inspect the DPO-Rondo-CSR BMW 335i. [MPix photo]
The opportunity to pretend being a racing driver was exciting for the children, judging by the long queue waiting to sit behind the steering wheel of the BMW. It certainly made a change from the usual handball and hopscotch!
Nathan got a kick out of the visit too.
“It was great to talk to the kids about racing,” he said. “I was about their age when I started in karts, so hopefully I helped to inspire some of them to go racing too.
“I’d like to thank Bonyrigg Heights Primary School Principal Daryl McKay for the opportunity to visit his school.”
Nathan is currently third in the Australian GT Championship coming into this weekend’s third round at Barbagallo Raceway in Western Australia.
Friday’s practice and qualifying sessions as well as the two hour-long races on Saturday and Sunday will be broadcast live on Foxtel channel 506.
BARBAGALLO RACEWAY TIMETABLE
Friday, May 6
0910 – 0930 Practice 1
1125 – 1145 Qualifying 1
1405 – 1425 Qualifying 2
Saturday, May 7
1215 – 1315 Race 1
Sunday, May 8
1125 – 1225 Race 2
BARBAGALLO RACEWAY (2.4km) – WANNEROO, WA
