Pit Crew Profile: JDR #7
Jack Daniel’s Racing car #7 has had a challenging run during the PIRTEK Enduro Cup, from hitting a kangaroo and retiring from the 161 lap Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 just 21 laps in, to failing to finish the last race at the Gold Coast. But the team emerged with amusing one-off ShuRoo sponsorship, not taking the incident to heart, a testament to the hard working crew. Meet them here.
Perry Kapper, engineer
“It’s been a wild ride, but I think I might have found a home,” 30-year old Kapper told v8supercars.com.au.
The #7 engineer has been part of several teams in his career, including TEKNO Autosports, Dick Johnson Racing (and was there in 2010 when James Courtney won the Championship) and after university worked for Noonan Race Engineering, which produces engines Brad Jones Racing uses. This is his first season with Nissan Motorsport.
Having grown up on the Gold Coast, he was happy to be home for the last event, which brought back good memories.
“I engineered James Moffat (at DJR) and he had a couple of great results, one here in particular,” he said.
Nickname: “Pez. Nice and easy.”
Jesse Walker, data engineer
Though Walker started in road cars, the Queenslander said he was too hungry to get into racing – so after a year at Prodrive started with then-Kelly Racing, working on design and helping with data on the weekends.
The data engineer role officially became available from Gold Coast 2011 – so the weekend marked his second year in the job and with the team.
The Jack Daniel’s team only has one data engineer across two cars, whereas other teams have one per car.
“It makes it pretty busy, but it’s pretty good,” he said.
“I’m a bit of a correspondent between all four cars and keeping the information flowing there.
“Back at the workshop I’m still design based and moving into simulation as well… in the road car industry, you design a part and never see it again. Here you’ve got it the whole way, it’s up to (the team) to install it in the car, so I much prefer this sort of thing.”
Nickname: “Pirate, for the earrings. I didn’t ever last a week before I got that one!”
Tim Keegan, number one mechanic
After turning 21, Keegan moved to Australia from New Plymouth in New Zealand. He started on a trial basis with the Kellys and four and a half years on is still with the team.
What he enjoys most about the role is being involved in pit stops – Keegan looks after the right front.
“I enjoy the pressure side of it, just trying to get through the weekend and preparing the car is probably my passion,” he said.
His most memorable results was a podium finish Bathurst with Greg Murphy in the car in 2011, with Allan Simonsen driving alongside. “Really just finishing the races is what I look forward to, watching the car go over the line with no mechanical issues – that’s my job.”
Nickname: “Keg. A lot of people don’t know my real name! I get a lot of nicknames being a New Zealander…”
Marcus Trappes, number two mechanic
While the number one looks after the right front, Trappes is responsible for the left rear. “Doing pitstops is fantastic,” he said. “That’s probably the best part of the job, I reckon.”
Twenty-five year old Trappes admittedly didn’t have anything to do with cars until finishing high school. He began a mechanical engineering degree, which involved working with PWR on the Gold Coast, and after completing a few events with Kelly Racing decided it was time for a change and moved to Melbourne for the role.
“It’s a lot different to a normal job!” he said. “Things have to be done when they have to be done – there’s no tomorrow, no in five minutes.”
He enjoys the technology side and strong attention to detail required, “It’s quite rewarding, but very disappointing when the car doesn’t finish.”
Nickname: “I’ve got a couple but the dominant one is the T1000. It’s kind of comes around because I think a bit like a robot at times.”
Ashley Simms, Tyre Technician
Simms moved from Bedford in the UK solely to be part of the V8 Supercars Championship.
Having started university as an engineer, Simms began in single seater racing.
“Last year in September I fell in love with these cars and decided to stay and do tyres,” he said.
Simms holidayed in Australia and the 22 year old has been hooked on the sport ever since.
“I spent two years in the Le Mans series and a year in F2 – I’m a mechanic, so I went all around Europe.”
Nickname: Pommie.
