At just 22 years of age, Jordan Spencer is a good two decades younger than most of his Super Gas compatriots, but those assuming his lack of years equals a lack of experience or wisdom would be far from the mark.
The son of four-time Super Gas national champion, Graeme Spencer, Spencer Junior has plenty of talent at the wheel backed by no shortage of championship-winning know-how which sees him now well in the hunt for the 2023/2024 Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship.
After going all the way to the final at the recent South Coast Rumble, the construction worker is third in the Western Conference championship points heading to Mildura’s Ken Scroop Memorial (March 9/10) – just 20 points shy of second placed Colin Griffin and 40 points shy of title leader and defending champion, Robert Bergamin.
“Mildura is where I took my first national event win in the senior ranks at least year’s Twilight Nationals, making it two in total as I won a national event in Junior Dragster also,” Spencer said.
“This event is going to be an interesting one, I am the youngest person in the field by a whole lot, and I am very aware that I am getting looked at very closely by the veterans of the bracket.
“It is going to be very interesting, and very fun. A lot of the older guys would love to put – as they say – the ‘young punk’ out, and I am ruffling some feathers for sure.
“When I put my entry in for Mildura I temporarily listed my new car which I am going to debut soon, a turboed six-cylinder ex-Pro Stock Cutlas Oldsmobile, just to stir them up a bit,” he laughed. “It is all a bit of fun!”
“Hopefully we can get the win this weekend, go one better than the last event. Then they can really hate me,” he grinned.
While focused on the Ken Scroop Memorial, Spencer is also keeping an eye on the overall championship picture.
“There is a nice little championship battle coming up, it will be pretty difficult. The top five are all within 20 points of each other, with 60 points total between first and my dad in fifth place,” Spencer said.
“The championship is something we are shooting for of course, but I am just keeping my head down and my arse up if you can say that! I am trying to keep it low key, take it round by round, and will just see how much damage I can do I suppose.
“If we can come home in the top five I would be happy. But having said that, to get the win, well that would see me doing a backflip off the roof of the car, I can tell you that! I would be over the moon.
“To have two champions in the house, father and son, now that would be pretty special.
“And to follow in dad’s footsteps and do it in the car that he won three of his titles in, that would just be the icing on the cake.
“He definitely puts in a lot of help and gets me where I need to be, I do some things myself, but I always have mum and dad helping me with everything and I am really thankful for their support, and the support of my crew.
“Last year I would have been right up there in the points but I was ineligible due to not travelling out of my local division so we got reclassified further down, but we were in the mix right to the end and I am confident we will be in the mix again this year – so make sure you keep an eye on us!”
The Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship will feature at two events in March – the Westernationals at the Perth Motorplex across March 2 and 3, and the Ken Scroop Memorial at Mildura’s Sunset Strip across March 9 and 10, both part of the National Drag Racing Championship (NDRC). For more information, visit www.ndrc.tv