Meet the Co-Drivers: Ashley Walsh, DJR 17

While yesterday was a good chance for some laps in the Dick Johnson Racing #17 Ford Falcon, co-driver Ashley Walsh only had a brief stint as he’s been unwell.

Walsh has fallen into second in the Dunlop Series standings – trailing DJR’s other signed co-driver Dale Wood – but is looking forward to his first outing as a co-driver in the endurance races this year.

“It will be a new experience for me – I don’t know what to expect,” Walsh said.

While Walsh has competed at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 in the Dunlop Series (last year) he only managed 13th for the meeting. He has not competed at The Mountain in the main series before.

The last V8 Supercars event, the Sucrogen Townsville 400, was the first time Walsh had to juggle driving his Dunlop Series Ford Falcon FG with V8 Supercar commitments, though it was only a quick 30-minute session in the dedicated co-driver Practice Zero.

Walsh finished 15th of the 20 co-drivers on track (though Greg Murphy is listed in results twice, having been recorded in cars 2 and 22).

“It was difficult to get used to (juggling both series) at first, but come Bathurst it will be ok,” Walsh said.

“It’s good to be busy on the race weekends.”

And while Walsh wasn’t sure what to expect from the Car of the Future Falcon, he was quite comfortable in the driver’s seat.

“They’re not as far apart as you think, I felt quite comfortable,” he said of Blanchard’s #17 COTF in comparison with his Dunlop Series drive, which is operating by Matt Stone Racing and is the ex-Stone Brothers Racing FG of Tim Slade.

“When I jumped in I didn’t know what to expect, but ergonomically I don’t have to change a lot and am able to concentrate on the little things when I’m driving.”

When he’s not racing in the Dunlop Series, Walsh works in the office for Mobile Test n Cal, one of his minor sponsors.

While the juggling act of a day job and a racing career has been ok so far for 2013, looking ahead Walsh sees the second half of the year will be “manic”.

Having started his motorsport career in Formula Ford in 2005, he spent half the year in the state series before progressing to the national series.

On debut, he placed third for the year and the following year went one better, finishing runner up. Funnily enough first placed was nabbed by Tim Blanchard.

From there, Walsh had a go in Europe, racing the Western European Formula Renault 2.0 Championship in 2008. He ran with a fairly new team, which he conceded didn’t have everything together – and the Championship was won by Daniel Ricciardo. “It was against a lot of the guys getting into Formula One now, so it was very competitive,” Walsh said of the series.

At the start of 2009 he participated in Friday driver sessions for an A1 GP Team Australia, but struggling with sponsorship, Walsh was faced with the option of coming back home.

After a race win in Formula Ford at the Gold Coast in 2009, Walsh secured himself a spot in the Australian National Formula Ford Championship for the following year.

“We went ok and it meant I got picked up to go into DVS and did a couple of years, on and off.”

He competed with Miles Racing in an ex-Triple Eight Falcon in 2011 before joining Matt Stone Racing in 2012.

Finally breaking into the main series as a co-driver this year, Walsh described the opportunity with DJR as “what you aim for through your career”.

And to collaborate with Blanchard, who he competed against in the Dunlop Series last year?

“It’s a little different!” he laughed. “It’s different to be supporting his as a co-driver, but that’s the job at hand.”

Walsh is particularly looking forward to the ARMOR ALL Gold Coast 600, as he enjoys the street circuits and is keen to race on the soft tyre in the main game V8 Supercar.

For the Dunlop Series, the third race at the Townsville Sucrogen 400 was the first time racing on the soft compound Dunlop tyre. Walsh felt it was better racing and he had a better ability to pass.

Walsh will be in the car at the Coates Hire Ipswich 360 (tickets available through Ticketek), as well as at Wilson Security-backed Dick Johnson Racing’s Open Day on Sunday.