22 July 2025
Soldiers from the 13th Combat Service Support Battalion (13CSSB) swapped their Perth workshop for life in the fast lane recently as part of a rare opportunity in professional motorsport.
Corporal Michael Drabble and Craftsman Greg Cowan were invited to be members of the pit crews for the Matt Stone Racing teams during the Supercars Perth Super 440 event on June 5-8.
Corporal Drabble pitted for Supercars driver Cameron Hill, while Craftsman Cowan pitted for Nick Percat over the action-packed four days.
“The four days were really busy and seemed to fly by, but looking back on the experience, it really was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Corporal Drabble said.
“Everyone from Matt Stone Racing was so welcoming and hospitable. They really made us feel part of the team.
“As a massive motorsports fan, it really was great to be so closely involved in the action.”
Craftsman Cowan said the most rewarding part of the experience was to be able to put his skills learnt in the 13CSSB workshop to use in a high-pressure environment.
“Obviously we’re more used to working on very different vehicles, but a lot of the core skills were transferrable to the pits,” Craftsman Cowan said.
“That really helped us settle into the team and we were able to pick things up really quickly.
“The speed at which the guys need to work, and the fact that there is absolutely no room for error in the heat of the moment really made it an experience I’ll remember for a long time.”
Percat and Hill had their best results of the Perth Super 440 event during Race 15 of the Supercars season on the Saturday afternoon, with both finishing inside the top 12.
13CSSB is a direct command unit within the Army’s 13th Brigade, primarily based in the Perth suburb of Karrakatta.
The battalion has a mix of full-time and reservist soldiers and provides a combat service support capability to Army’s 2nd (Australian) Division, whose primary mission is the defence of the Australian homeland.
