In the second ever running of the increasingly popular Mazda RX8 Cup Series, it was Aaron Prosser who outperformed his rivals, banking enough points throughout the series to earn the overall victory. However, he certainly didn’t do it the easy way.
Fought out over five rounds, it wasn’t the most encouraging start for Prosser, who lives in the Brisbane suburb of Burpengary in Queensland, but as the series wore on, the resilient racer managed to overcome adversity to bounce back in a big way.
Opening his campaign at Winton Motor Raceway in Victoria back in March, the weekend could only be described as disastrous despite Prosser qualifying second, after a collision with another driver in his first race resulted in two subsequent DNFs and significant damage to his car, which continued to plague him, putting him on the back foot.
Heading into round two at Queensland’s Morgan Park Raceway 100 points off the lead, Prosser well and truly had his work cut out for him as he attempted to play catch up. Rising to the challenge, Prosser’s fortune couldn’t have improved more, with the 40-year-old securing pole position after qualifying and going on to dominate all four races.
A mixed bag was what awaited him during the third series round at The Bend Motorsport Park in South Australia, putting his car on pole and emerging victorious in his first two races, before another collision in race three punctured his tyre, forcing him to pit and close the race at the rear of the field.
Doing well to make up ground, Prosser made his way up to third in his final heat race from the back of the pack, which was enough to see him take over second place in the series point score.
Back to his best during Sydney Motorsport Park’s fourth round, Prosser secured another much needed clean sweep, banking him maximum points, which saw him take control of the series lead by a narrow 13 points with just one round to go.
Remaining in New South Wales for the fifth and final round at Wakefield Park Raceway, Prosser started in strong fashion, once again earning pole position and managing to retain his front-running form throughout each of the round’s five races to come away with five wins, well and truly solidifying his overall Mazda RX8 Cup Series victory.
With four out of five pole positions, 15 race wins and three lap records, to say that Prosser was pleased with his 2019 campaign would be quite the understatement.
“We definitely didn’t have it all our own way throughout the series, but having those setbacks really pushed us to bounce back and give it everything we had, which made all the difference in the end,” explained Prosser.
“I can’t thank my team, sponsors and other supporters enough for everything they’ve done for me throughout the year. Without them I wouldn’t be able to race, so this victory is as much theirs as it is mine.”
Growing up in Paraparaumu Beach in New Zealand’s North Island, Prosser originally got into racing via go karts as a teenager, later moving into Mazda RX7 cars where he built his race craft for the next five years, highlighted by winning the North Island Championship and a trio of second-place finishes in the NZ Championship.
A plumber by trade, Prosser moved to Australia in 2010, commencing his contracting business. Having always been an avid speedway spectator, it wasn’t until 2012 that he made his speedway racing debut, purchasing a Modlite and competing for a handful of seasons, achieving his biggest milestone by winning the 2017 Australian Title at Whyalla’s Westline Speedway.
Returning to racing following a year on the sidelines, Prosser decided to make a comeback in road racing, stepping into the Mazda RX8 Cup Series last season and contesting two rounds at Wakefield Park Raceway and Winton Motor Raceway, the second of which saw him place second to formidable opponent Ric Shaw.
While Prosser has stepped away from speedway, the sport is not lost for the racer, with his 15-year-old son Taylor currently racing a Junior Formula 500, with long-term aspirations of competing in 410 Sprintcars.
Prosser is proudly supported by the following sponsors:
Aaron Prosser Contracting
Harris Race Radios
Al Marsh Automotive
Ric Shaw Performance
Special thanks go to Aaron Harris for his invaluable knowledge and support, Al Marsh, Ric Shaw, the team at Aaron Prosser Contracting for their efforts, which allow Prosser to continue doing what he loves, and his family and friends.
