By Sam Tickell
Tom Drewer recently tested an LMPC after his second year in the Lites Championship
When one thinks about Australian Champion drivers trying to make it overseas, you think of Mark Webber, Casey Stoner, David Brabham and soon you will be thinking of Adelaide native, Tom Drewer.
Drewer burst onto the international scene in 2008 when he left his career as an up-and-coming advertising artist to chase his dream of becoming a professional racecar driver – a sportscar driver at that.
He races with success in Australia before his move to the USA, winning the Thundersports title in a West WR1000 and proving handy in saloon car races.
But Drewer’s move to America was not an easy one. Part time racing in Australia and a solid office based career ahead of him, he could have sat back and be considered a handy amateur but he wanted more. But the move came with considerable sacrifice, as supporter and Australian GT Championship boss, Terry Little explains.
“The sacrifices that Tom has made are simply awesome, he gave up a career in advertising, where he was an outstanding up coming young art director with a major company, sold everything he had, travel half way around the world to a city and country where he new no one, he had never lived away from home before, had to learn to cook etc etc.”
Moreover, the financial pressures that racing in the States put on Drewer were extraordinary.
As Drewer explains “my mother and father have given up everything. My mum even rents out my old room. I sold everything”
But one shouldn’t think that Drewer has taken from other’s goodwill to build his career. A huge amount of effort and personal sacrifice have also pushed him along the way.
“He could not even get a job to support himself and has had to live in other people’s homes, moving regularly. He has no car as every dollar is needed to keep him racing, even with all of this against him he amazes all of us back home with the effort he puts not only into racing, but also into training, car preparation, networking teams, potential corporate supporters, keeping his followers informed and achieving the maximum amount of exposure for his sponsors, The Daily Planet and Ubantu Resort,” explains Little.
Drewer has had to beg and borrow to continue his career and is immensely grateful to his family and friends that have chipped in along the way. In the past, Drewer has sold car space through his website so fans and well wishers could put their name on the car for a modest sum.
Drewer ended the 2009 season with a podium
His family and supporters continue to help from Australia, chasing sponsorship and giving Tom the support he needs to succeed.
Which is perhaps why, Drewer can be particularly hard on himself.
His 2009 was certainly a harsh learning curve. He stepped into a car he had never driven. He had virtually no testing. The competition he faced was considerably tougher than it had been in the past. And he was riding a wave of personal expectation.
He doesn’t call the above excuses, just his ‘situation’. His intolerance for excuses becomes apparent when he gives himself just 5/10 for his performance in 2009.
Drewer also sees the positives in his 2009 performance – certainly an important element if any young driver is to improve over time.
“We set the fastest lap of the weekend at New Jersey, put it on pole and led half the race. We were at the pointy end of the field all week at Petit, qualifying 4th, finishing 2nd in Race 1 with the second fastest laptime, starting on the front row for race 2 and coming second when [Joey] Marcelli and I touched and I got stuck in the gravel. Even in that race, after the incident I got the second fastest laptime and was lapping faster than the podium finishers.”
He could have had another positive too if he had not been incorrectly black flagged at Road America – something that left the IMSA officials a little red-faced. Without this flag, Drewer could have gained a top five in the title race, as it ended, though, he finished a respectable seventh.
His talent and dedication have become apparent to more than just Drewer and his supporters. IMSA Lites representative, Lindsay Fox echoes other’s praise for the Australian.
“Tom has used the series to showcase his talents, first by winning the [IMSA Lites presented by Frisby Performance Tire] Lites Two Championship and then by moving up the ladder to the Lites One category. Tom not only uses his on-track time well in showing his driving talent, but works tirelessly to make his face known in the paddock, which is the side that not all competitors take advantage of. Because of Tom's efforts, I think if you asked most people in the ALMS paddock to name one IMSA Lites driver, it would be Tom Drewer,” said Fox.
It is for this reason that IMSA Lites would love to see Drewer stay on for another year or two to hone his skills and for the Lites to benefit from such an obviously professional driver.
But desire, ambitions and funding will, ultimately, dictate where Drewer ends up in 2010.
Drewer dominated the L2 category and stepped into the L1 category for 2009
He has tested a GT2 Panoz for PTG Motorsports and participated in the LMPC tests in the Oreca Courage package. In 2008 and 2009 he had also driven a GT3 Lamborghini and a V8 Supercar. This gives Drewer options but his heart lies in pure bread racing cars – prototypes and open wheelers.
“My goal is to drive outright winning factory prototypes, and to be the next Australian Le Mans winner. 2010 is about making the progression from a feeder category, IMSA Lites, to a pro category like ALMS or Grand Am.”
If Tom achieves his goal to race professionally in 2010, he will have earnt it through hard work. Little, who has supported Penske’s Will Power and Australian V8 Supercar and Bathurst 1000 Champion, Jamie Whincup believes he sees the same qualities in Drewer as he did in his previous talents.
As Little explains, “I am hopeful that one of the Sportscar teams will see the value in investing in a young guy that can deliver at all the levels a professional driver is required to, to deliver success on the , track, in the media and in the corporate arena, in fact any team in Australia's V8 Supercar or other leading series in the world would reap the benefits of giving Tom a go, he is as good as Jamie Whincup or Will Power, he just needs the opportunity to display it.”
By relentlessly pounding the paddock Drewer has been able to become friends with some illustrious teams and drivers including fellow Australian David Brabham, Duncan Datyon and his Highcroft team, PTG Panoz and Audi UK.
Drewer’s test at Road Atlanta of the new-for-2010 LMPC Oreca Courage could also give that ‘next step’ in his career.
He believes that “ALMS is on a winner with the LMPC.”
Not only because it will boost car counts but also because it could recapture the spirit of previous eras.
“Everyone I speak to in racing always reminisces about the good old CanAm days. Big loud V8s in beautiful, sleek racing cars. This is exactly what has been captured with the LMPC. A stunning car with a thunderous, mean sounding V8. I think the American public will love them, and they’ll certainly relate to the powerplant.”
But it should also suit Drewer, someone who has honed his skills in prototype cars and someone who has raced in the semi-spec world of IMSA Lites.
Before coming to America, Drewer won the Thundersports class in Australia
The Oreca Courage did present some differences to his L1 Lites Elan DP-02. Seating position was one, the additional power and grip was another. This presented some inevitable differences with the steering.
“I’m used to using a fair bit of muscle to turn the DP-02 in, particularly as we generally run a reasonable amount of caster to cure bump-steer. The LMPC was very light on the steering and very direct. I really had to slow my hand speed down in the high-speed corners.”
The stopping power and the paddle-shift gearbox were also impressive enhancements from the L1 car that Drewer was used to.
One has to hope that it is not too much to ask for Drewer to be able to step up in 2010. He is truly a man with oil in his veins and a true desire to succeed.
The desire to succeed may come from childhood meetings with Ayrton Senna or Nigel Mansell.
Or it could come from an inbuilt desire to follow a dream, to succeed and to know that nothing comes for free.
He summed up his time to-date in America with “I think I’m much more well-rounded as a driver. I think last year I proved I can win, this year I proved I have the mettle.”
He has the skill. He has the dedication. He has the personality. Tom Drewer has all the ingredients to become the next Australian star.