Father-sons team taking on the off-road world

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 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’s other car.

Mark said the event was like coming full circle in his career.

“It’s something you never think about when you start, whether your kids will race, but to actually see it happening was incredible,” he said.

“Matt 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.

“The young bloke Tom took to navigating really well so he did a real unbelievable job.

“They’ve been around it ever since they were babies getting dragged around to races and seeing what happens. It’s a real family-oriented sport so it’s been in their blood.”

Tom followed in his brother’s footsteps with Matthew having first navigated for his dad during the Tyrrell Downs Short Course Race in 2017.

Following Mark and Matthew’s Australian Off-Road Championship victory in 2019, the latter began racing last year and was handed his dad’s MBR Jimco which was used to win that race.

With Mark sitting out last year’s season to get MonkFab 1-01 ready, he had plenty of time to guide his son from the sidelines.

Mathew said he couldn’t wish for a better mentor.

“He’s amazing. I’ve probably got the best mentor for off-road racing in Australia,” he said.

“He’s been supportive. At home we have a bit of a test track and he’s always giving me little tips and tricks.

“I definitely wouldn’t be where I am now without him.”

With the three Burrows in league, the racing team is filled out with Jay Mitchell navigating for Matthew.

Practicing and tinkering out of their Burrumbeet farm, the family is readying to compete in the Finke Desert Race in Alice Springs in June.

Mark was the race’s first participant to have his car beat the motorcycle times in 1999.

He said he thinks his sons are poised to do well in this year’s event.

“I think Mark especially with racing will go fine,” he said.

“He seems to have the feel of what the car can and can’t do so I think he’ll go well. That was his first real big national race last year.

“This race is that big and well-known it’s probably the only one they know in America. It’s like our version of the Baja 1000.”

Mark said he plans to let his sons take control of both vehicles once Tom decides to get in the driver’s seat as well.