Jess Turner will be in action again tonight at Adelaide International Raceway where she hopes to build on her mother’s legacy at a track that has become a happy hunting ground for Turner and her family.
The Springnationals were already significant to the young Modified flier after winning the 2013 edition especially since it was “Mum” who last won the same event the last time it was staged in 2000 before a hiatus.
And while it may not be the Springnationals this weekend, it is a national Aeroflow Sportsman Drag Racing Championship round.
“Adelaide has always been a good track for us while I was racing Junior Dragster and now in Modified, where we were able to take the win last year at the Springnationals,” said Turner.
“For our team to come out of the meeting with the win, it was such a special moment especially for my Dad, brother and I. She was definitely racing with me that weekend!”
Turner’s mother, Racheal Clancy, started in drag racing as crew chief helping Jess’ father Paul Turner until 1997 when she was asked to take up driving.
Clancy took the idea head on and began racing in the 1997 Springnationals, her first meeting after licensing, eventually bowing out in the semi-finals to racing great Ken Stewart.
She continued to race for the next four years around the country and had many successes in both competition and modified but when Calder Park closed in 2001, Rachael stopped driving to focus more on her business ventures.
“I always looked up to my mum as someone who taught me you could do anything you set your mind to,” Turner said. “She showed me it was possible to compete in a male dominated sport and still be tough competitor.”
“After she passed away I realised life is too short to not do what you love so we began looking into junior dragsters. I wish she was still here to see me race and enjoy the off track entertainment with our family and friends but I’m often told that she is still here racing with us in our hearts, and that’s a lovely reminder!”
Last season Turner finished fifth in the Modified championship despite taking time out during the deciding round due to her year 12 exam commitments.
“I feel like I have something to prove this year and we will be strongly chasing the Australian championship whilst also running the Victorian State Championship at Calder Park.”
Those bold ambitions are not out of the question as things go from strength to strength for Jess Turner Motorsport with the welcome addition of new sponsor City to City Enterprises, specialists in domestic and commercial construction, renovations, extensions, new buildings, deckings and pergolas for the rest of the year.
“With the support of our sponsors; Fuchs Lubricants, City to City Enterprises, Vinyl Wraps and Graphics, VP Fuels, Dominator Converters, Paul Rogers Performance Transmissions and 60 foot, we are excited to head to Adelaide for the next round of the Aeroflow Sportsman Drag Racing Championship.”
“For Adelaide this weekend the car is running very consistently so as long as I can keep my reaction times in form, hopefully we will be a team to be reckoned with amongst the strong racers also competing.”
“Both Kenny Stewart and I will be pitted together displaying our Fuchs cars and will have hundreds of flags and racer cards to give out so please stop past and see us.”
Qualifying in Round 4 of the Aeroflow Sportsman Drag Racing Championship begins tonight at Adelaide International Raceway from 5:00pm.
Further qualifying and eliminations continue from 9:00am tomorrow.
For more information please click here.
Images supplied by Jess Turner Motorsport