It’s down to the final three challengers in series 2 of the Shannon’s Supercar Showdown. In this week’s final episode one of three aspiring racing car drivers will claim the grand prize, a place behind the wheel in the Shannon’s V8 Supercar at the historic 50th Anniversary of the Bathurst 1000.
The award winning reality TV series broadcast on 7Mate took 11 contestants, including two from overseas and pitted them against each other in a series of challenges, to earn a seat in Australia's greatest motor racing event.
All final three are young men dedicated to achieving a career in motor sport. Competing in the Shannons Supercar Showdown has brought the chances of fulfilling their life-long dreams of becoming full time drivers tantalisingly close.
Jesse Dixon
Age: 19. Lives on The Gold Coast
Occupation: Go Kart Track Assistant Manager
Jesse Dixon has dedicated his life to Motor Sports from an early age, beginning with Go Kart racing at age 12. Jesse currently participates in the Australian V8 Ute Racing Series and his career highlight before competing in The Shannon’s Supercar Showdown was representing Australia in the 2010 Formula BMW Pacific Championship.
Glen Wood
Age: 23. Lives in Victoria
Occupation: Sales Consultant
A wake boarder and motorcycle enthusiast, Glen Wood is your average Aussie guy. Glen last raced in motor sport in 2008 in both the British and Australian Formula Ford, but he won't let this hold him back from his motor sport dream. Glen hopes that 2012 is the year he will be able to jump back in the driver’s seat and race at Bathurst.
Andre Heimgartner
Age: 16. Lives in Auckland, New Zealand
Occupation: High School Student
Kiwi Andre Heimgartner is the baby of the competition at 16 and is a rising star in the motor sport world. Andre is the youngest driver to ever win the New Zealand Formula Ford Racing Championship in 2010. He is currently racing in the V8 Super Tourer Series in New Zealand and the Porsche Carer Cup in Australia. In between school and racing Andre also enjoys playing guitar and soccer.
How does it feel to be down to the final 3?
Jesse: It’s very exciting. I’m a step closer to the ultimate prize, so I can’t make any mistakes.
Glen: It feels amazing… I never expected to get this far, to be honest. Quite a few challenges along the way, been through a couple of eliminations, which sucks, but you’ve just got to push on.
Andre: Very good, but I know the other guys are pretty good so it’s going to be tough, so I need to be firing on all cylinders.
How long have you dreamed of being a driver?
Jesse: I’ve been focused from a very early age. It’s something you’ve got to work on, pretty much, every day. When I started with racing go carts, I was working on the go cart after school, everyday, just to get it ready for the weekend racing. I discovered and learned pretty early on that you need to work hard to get things you want. It definitely helped me grow and develop a hunger and a dedication to succeed.
Glen: Back in 95/95 when my old man was racing. That’s when motor sport started flowing through my blood. To be now given the chance to race at Bathurst, it’s unbelievable!
Andre: Ever since I was a little kid. Pretty much, ever since I was born, I wanted to be what my dad was, which was a racing car driver. I used to follow my dad around, when he used to race. For the past ten years I’ve been extremely focused on that goal and I think I’m starting to get somewhere, so it’s really rewarding.
What has being a contestant on Shannons Supercar Showdown done for you career?
Jesse: This is a huge boost for my career. Reaching Supercars is a very tough task. You need a lot of funding and enough experience to get there. To be given this opportunity and prove myself in a Supercar and showcase my ability, it makes it a whole lot easier to try and secure a draft for the next season and try and get a full time drive, in the V8 Supercars, whether it’s the main game or the development series. That’s what my sights are set on and I hope one day I can crack a full time professional drive, in the main game.
Glen: A massive boost, no question. Prior to the show, no one knew Glen Wood… never heard of him! I might of heard of his brother (racing car driver Dale), but, who the h*** is Glen. I suppose I became a lot more known in the motor sport trade. Certainly, even out of the motor sport trade. I’m a salesman, constantly on the road, and now I walk into so many different workshops and businesses and they say.. ‘hang on mate, aren’t you that bloke from that TV show?’ So the public profile side of things, it’s been a massive boost.
Andre: It’s given me a lot of knowledge on how to handle myself in stressful situations. It’s definitely self-skills and I’ve also learnt a lot about driving as well. It’s been great for my exposure, because now a lot more people know who I am.
What have you learned?
Jesse: It was awesome. It was a big learning experience seeing how TV was made. Pretty cool. Being in a car every day, the rivalry, doing cool challenges, it was heaps of fun.
The feedback from the best drivers in the country was priceless. I learnt a lot from all of them. Jim (Richards) gave us some great advice. It’s just his mindset and how he approaches races…. It really meant a lot to me and I really took it on board and applied that to the final episode, which paid off. Jims a really nice guy, he’s very relaxed and takes it as it comes. Yeh, I learnt a lot from him. He’s a lovely guy. He’s realistic, easy going and he says, if you can’t win, you can’t win, just do the best you can and you should just be happy with whatever you do. I learnt a lot of driving techniques from the Kelly brothers. V8 supercars aren’t the easiest cars to drive, and they are both great drivers so they definitely helped shorten the learning curve with some of the traits, to consider, when you’re driving V8, so that was very helpful. They are the best drivers in the country
Glen: I certainly learnt how to promote yourself better. I think that’s something that’s pretty important in motor sport. I learnt to be more open, more forward, taking the opportunity to speak with more people. I also learnt a lot of different driving techniques.
Andre: The challenges we did were great. All the media and interviews were great experience along with the self-discipline and my own personal skills.
How did you find out about The Shannons Supercar Challenge?
Jesse: Last year I was a very keen watcher and it was something I really wanted to do. I saw that it was coming back, so I thought I’d put my foot in early. I hunted down Rick and Todd (Kelly) and introduced myself.
Glen: My brother and I are extremely close, so I asked him to ask Rick if the show will be running again this year. So when it was confirmed it was back on, I went for it.
Andre: I watched the series last year on Youtube.
How far ahead does being on the show get you in terms of your goals?
Jesse: The Shannon Supercar showdown is a great way for great young talent, all over Australia and International drivers as well, to put yourself through some tough challenges. It’s a great way to showcase your ability to a national audience and get your name out there as well.
Glen: It makes it so much easier to get out there and get sponsors. You’re known in the trade now, and sponsors can actually see now, that this bloke’s got some talent. But it’s all comes down to money and getting the right support… you can have all the talent and but you still need the financial support to push you through. It has made it a lot easier but there’s still a way to go. Without it I’d still be just a mechanic, working hard to pay the bills.
Andre: This is another step ahead. I’ve had the TV experience and I know what to expect, so that’s a real advantage for me. Without it I’d probably be at home, sleeping! I’m very grateful for this opportunity and it’s the best thing I’ve done in my life.
What would winning mean to you?
Jesse: It’s one of those feelings you hope your whole life and now it’s inside and getting closer to happening. So I’ve just got to get as ready as I can and not do anything silly...
Glen: It’s so hard to describe…. Bathurst has always been the dream, above everything. It would be a big step closer to living that dream.
Andre: It would mean everything to me.
What would it mean to be able to race at Bathurst?
Jesse: There’s already a huge amount of atmosphere and hype on the Bathurst weekend, but the 50th anniversary is going to multiply that, so it’s going to be a massive weekend... Yeah, it would be awesome really… All the drivers…… The Kelly brothers and all the other guys I’ve looked up to my whole life, so being on the track with them would be….. I don’t know… you look up to them and now they’re competitors, so you’ve got to put you’re game face on.
Glen: To be given the chance to race at Bathurst, it’s unbelievable! I’ve had to pinch myself quite a few times!
Andre: It’s been my dream to race at Bathurst and I really want to make the most of it.
What are your greatest attributes as a driver?
Jesse: I have a lot of focus and stayed focused throughout the competition. I think that helped me. I’m not as experienced as the other guys, but I took it very seriously and tried to make the most of every moment . Most things in my life are aimed in the direction of motor racing. You’ve got to be a complete package… This competition and this show is not just who can be the fastest driver, its a lot more that than. You’ve got to be able to adapt to a new car, you’ve got to be able to go fast in different conditions. Plus all the extra stuff like fitness and media and even the reaction board as well. You need to be an all round sort of driver to be able to compete in this competition.
Glen: I’ve always been told I’m an extremely smooth driver. Jenson Button like. He’s so well known for his precise, finesse driving and I’ve been told that a lot myself.
Andre: I am a calm person, so I don’t get stressed. I’m pretty relaxed and I generally don’t come off the track.
What do you think of the other two guys?
Jesse: I think Andre and Glen are both very talented drivers and have proved that though out this competition. Andrea drives cars that are similar to V8s so he should be fast straight away and Glen has had experience in a V8 Supercar before which will help him. They are both tough competition but they are also both beatable. I'm going to give it everything I've got and hope it's enough to win.
Glen: They have a very different approach. Andre has huge amounts of talent, but at the same time he’s still very young. Jesse takes a different approach; to anyone I’ve ever known. He’s happy doing his own thing. Extremely focused and committed.
Andre: Jesse is very meticulous, and that obviously works for him. It’s not my style or Glens style. Both are great drivers, so I’m going to have to do my best to beat them.
Mark Behr, Marketing Manager for Shannon’s Insurance, the driving force behind the show, is proud to be associated with a program that presents a bona-fide career changing opportunity in motorsport.
Mark: “Last year’s winner, Cameron Waters, now races in V8 Supercars and this program helped him to get there. When you look at the calibre of drivers we are finding and the high level of motor sports professionals involved in the show you know we are doing something more than making a reality TV program. We are doing something positive for motor racing in Australia.”
One of those professionals on the show is racing legend Jim Richards, a Shannon’s ambassador and mentor to the contestants.
Jim: “I think it is a fantastic idea to give these guys and girls the chance to fulfil their dreams and drive at Bathurst.”
Rick Kelly and his brother Todd are not only the judges on the program, they will also be the team behind the V8 car the winner will drive at Bathurst this October.
Rick: “The reason Todd and I worked on the TV show, is because when we were younger, we had an opportunity to be involved with The Young Lions Program, which was giving young guys a shot. And with the commercial reality of motor sport today, those opportunities aren’t out there and this, the Shannon’s supercar showdown for us has been an avenue for providing that opportunity to great young guys & girls with a lot of talent that otherwise wouldn’t have had it. It is something we’re really proud to be involved with.”
The winner will be revealed this Sunday 30 Sept on 7Mate and be racing at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 October 4 - 7th
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