By XAVIER SMERDON
IN THE garage of an unassuming house in Hoppers Crossing one of the fastest men in Australia is preparing himself for his next big competition.
Darren Parker has dedicated a large portion of his life to fine-tuning his car as he chases the title of Australia’s best drag racer.
Earlier this month he travelled to Sydney where he came first in his category at the Nitro Champs, part of the Australian Drag Racing Championships.
The win saw him move into first place on the national leaderboard at the halfway mark of the season.
Mr Parker is a reformed street racer who decided to focus his love of fast cars towards a professional sport.
“I raced motorbikes when I was a kid and then I started illegal drag racing,” Mr Parker said.
“I realised it was too dangerous so I started going down to Calder Park.
“I had the need for speed so I decided to do it properly.”
Last year Mr Parker was just laps away from winning the Australian Championships when his motor blew up in the final qualifying round.
This time around he is determined to achieve his dream of being the best in the country.
“To be honest I always wanted to win the nationals,” he said.
“I’ve got my fingers crossed.”
His red Pontiac GXP is worth more than most people’s houses and can travel from zero to 100 kilometres an hour in under one second.
He won his last competition by reaching the 400 metre finish line in 7.38 seconds, travelling at just under 300 km/h.
Before a race he will pull his car apart completely and make sure everything is working perfectly.
He also practices his reaction times, ensuring he can get the fastest start.
Mr Parker encouraged other rev heads to think about competing legally.
“I couldn’t live without it, it’s an addiction. I love the adrenalin rush you get and the speed,” he said.
“You get kids talking about drag racing and bragging about going 200 kilometres an hour but I tell them that if they make a mistake they can die.
“If I make a mistake it’s a lot safer when you’re doing it professionally.”
Mr Parker will next compete in Queensland in four weeks time.
