Drewer chasing a DREAM. (Athens Banner-Herald)

Article by Chris Starrs appearing in the Athens, Georgia USA based Athens Banner-Herald newspaper and onlineathens.com on Tuesday, May 26, 2009.

"Tom Drewer is a long way from his native Australia, but the up-and-coming race car driver is making himself right at home in Athens.

The 24-year-old, who grew up in a family of racers, sold everything he owned to move to America in 2008 to try and make his way on unfamiliar courses in an alien environment..."


"..."When I got here, I didn't know a soul and was all by myself," said Drewer, who hails from the South Australian town of Adelaide. "It's been a new experience and it's been amazing. Athens is a fantastic little town. It reminds me of some of the bigger country towns in Australia."

Drewer first set up shop in Buford and signed on with the West Race Car USA Team, winning the International Motor Sports Association's Lites 2 championship last year.

In addition, Drewer won 10 of 12 races he entered, including his maiden American run at the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring event in Florida and his first Canadian race at the Mosport circuit. He also qualified on the pole 11 times and holds lap records at five North American tracks, including Road Atlanta.

His driving grabbed the attention of Athens' Kevin Kloepfer, who owns and operates Comprent Motor Sports, a full-service racing team that has piled up numerous awards in its 22 years of competition.

"Last year, Kevin and I had been eyeing each other a little bit," said Drewer in his unmistakable Aussie accent. "It seemed that we kept meeting in the winner's circle and as the year progressed, I became a viable option to move up to Lites 1. I'm trying to make the jump from semi-professional to someone who's paid to race on Sundays and Comprent is helping with my progress."

"We won the Lites 1 championship in 2008 and Tom won the Lites 2 championship with another team," said Kloepfer. "He wanted to be with somebody who knew cars and knew how to win. We talked a little bit and he wanted to move up from L1, and we were the next logical step."

Drewer races in Georgia-constructed junior prototype cars, which he terms as an "Indy car with a little more body work, essentially an open-wheel Formula car with extra bodywork over the wheels."

The cars - which are in the junior category to the famous LeMans Series - can top out at speeds of 160 mph and average some 115 mph on the circuit, which in most cases feature plenty of corner turns and chilling curves.

"Unlike NASCAR, we have corner turns in both directions," quips Drewer, who was mentored early in his career by three-time World Champion Nikki Lauda and has competed since an early age in karting, the South Australian Drivers Championship, the Australian Thundersports category and the V8 Giant Supercar Series.

He recently competed in the Utah Grand Prix, but Drewer hasn't had the same success in Lites 1 as he did a year ago.

"We've struggled a little bit but we're starting to see some results," said Kloepfer, who added most of his client drivers own their own cars, but he rents one to Drewer. "He's obviously on a tight budget and is doing what he can. He does an excellent job of promoting."

Added Drewer: "Racing is a lot different from something like golf or tennis. It's very challenging due to the role finances play. It's a big battle for any driver to find the financing he needs. It's a big investment and a big commitment.

"My mother and father are putting all their pay packets into racing and I sold everything to come here and pursue my dream. It's a tough sport - most of my time is spent trying to make the next deal to get to the next (race)."

While Drewer plans to continue participating in open-wheel races, he's not closing the door on competing in non-LeMans Circuit events.

"NASCAR is getting more interesting to Australians, and I'd love to at least try it one day," he said. "It's a different style of racing and a lot of the open-wheel drivers who have done it have struggled. It obviously takes a lot of skill. I'd also love to run the Indianapolis 500 as well. But right now I'd just like to see those styles of racing - the Daytona 500 is at the top of my list, just above the Indy 500.

"But my main goal is to emulate my fellow Australian drivers, like David Brabham, who's now racing in the American LeMans Series, (NASCAR Sprint Cup driver) Marcus Ambrose, and Vern Schuppan, the only Australian to win the 24 Hours of LeMans, which he did in a Porsche."

Besides family and friends, Drewer said the only thing he really misses from back home is the beach.

"I didn't realize how much time I spent at the beach until I got here," he said. "I miss the ocean and watching the dolphins play with each other. I like to go to Savannah and other towns on the coast so I can see a bit of the water"."