WITH nearly five decades of experience in off-road racing, an Australian Motor Sport Hall of Fame inductee has been passing the wheel to his sons.<\/p>\n
Following years of achievements, Mark Burrows found himself a new racing first during the recent first round of the ARB Australian Off Road Racing Championship in Rainbow last month.<\/p>\n
Driving one of two vehicles under his Mark Burrows Racing team, his son Tom served as navigator for the first time while his other son Matthew raced alongside him in the team\u2019s other car.<\/p>\n
Mark said the event was like coming full circle in his career.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s something you never think about when you start, whether your kids will race, but to actually see it happening was incredible,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMatt and I qualified pretty close on the race. We came in fourth and he was pretty much the next car on the track after me.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe young bloke Tom took to navigating really well so he did a real unbelievable job.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve been around it ever since they were babies getting dragged around to races and seeing what happens. It\u2019s a real family-oriented sport so it\u2019s been in their blood.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tom followed in his brother\u2019s footsteps with Matthew having first navigated for his dad during the Tyrrell Downs Short Course Race in 2017.<\/p>\n
Following Mark and Matthew\u2019s Australian Off-Road Championship victory in 2019, the latter began racing last year and was handed his dad\u2019s MBR Jimco which was used to win that race.<\/p>\n
With Mark sitting out last year\u2019s season to get MonkFab 1-01 ready, he had plenty of time to guide his son from the sidelines.<\/p>\n
Mathew said he couldn\u2019t wish for a better mentor.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s amazing. I\u2019ve probably got the best mentor for off-road racing in Australia,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s been supportive. At home we have a bit of a test track and he\u2019s always giving me little tips and tricks.<\/p>\n
\u201cI definitely wouldn\u2019t be where I am now without him.\u201d<\/p>\n
With the three Burrows in league, the racing team is filled out with Jay Mitchell navigating for Matthew.<\/p>\n
Practicing and tinkering out of their Burrumbeet farm, the family is readying to compete in the Finke Desert Race in Alice Springs in June.<\/p>\n
Mark was the race\u2019s first participant to have his car beat the motorcycle times in 1999.<\/p>\n
He said he thinks his sons are poised to do well in this year\u2019s event.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think Mark especially with racing will go fine,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe seems to have the feel of what the car can and can\u2019t do so I think he\u2019ll go well. That was his first real big national race last year.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis race is that big and well-known it\u2019s probably the only one they know in America. It\u2019s like our version of the Baja 1000.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark said he plans to let his sons take control of both vehicles once Tom decides to get in the driver\u2019s seat as well.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
WITH nearly five decades of experience in off-road racing, an Australian Motor Sport Hall of Fame inductee has been passing the wheel to his sons. Following years of achievements, Mark Burrows found himself a new racing first during the recent first round of the ARB Australian Off Road Racing Championship in Rainbow last month. Driving […]<\/p>\n