Todd Hazelwood
September 25, 1995 — South Australia, Australia
Todd Hazelwood is an Australian professional racing driver who has built a career in the Repco Supercars Championship, Australia's premier touring car series. Since breaking into the category in the late 2010s, he has progressed from a promising junior competitor to a trusted co-driver for one of the sport's most storied teams, Dick Johnson Racing. His journey reflects the demanding path many young Australian drivers take from grassroots motorsport to the top tier of national touring car racing.
Early Life and Junior Career
Todd Matthew Hazelwood was born on September 25, 1995, in South Australia, where his early passion for motorsport took root in karting. Like many Australian drivers of his generation, he used karting as a springboard into car racing, developing the reflexes and racecraft that would later define his professional career. He progressed through entry-level open-wheel and production categories, including stints in formats designed to prepare young talent for the physical and technical demands of touring car racing. His performances in these developmental series caught the attention of team owners and sponsors, allowing him to climb toward the Dunlop Super2 Series, the recognized proving ground for the Supercars Championship. Success in Super2 demonstrated his speed and consistency against other rising drivers, and it ultimately opened the door to a full-time seat in Australia's top touring car category. This steady rise through the ranks, rather than a single breakthrough moment, characterized Hazelwood's path into professional racing and reflected the patience and persistence required to reach the Supercars grid.
Rise to the Supercars Championship
Hazelwood earned a full-time drive in the Supercars Championship, Australia's leading motor racing series featuring high-powered V8 touring cars from manufacturers including Ford and Chevrolet. Competing for smaller, independently run teams early in his top-flight career, he gained a reputation as a hardworking and adaptable driver capable of extracting strong results from less-resourced entries. Supercars endurance events, particularly the iconic Bathurst 1000 and Sandown 500, became showcases for his skill, as these races pair regular drivers with co-drivers for grueling long-distance contests on demanding circuits like Mount Panorama. Over time, his performances in these high-pressure endurance races helped establish his credibility within the paddock. That reputation eventually led to his most prestigious opportunity: a role as a co-driver for Dick Johnson Racing, one of Supercars' most historic and successful teams, competing in the Shell V-Power Racing Ford Mustang. Partnering with a full-time championship contender in this capacity represented a significant milestone, placing Hazelwood alongside elite machinery and a team with a championship-winning pedigree.
Did You Know?
Todd Hazelwood's path to Dick Johnson Racing came after years of driving for smaller, independent Supercars teams, making his eventual seat with one of the championship's most historic outfits a notable underdog success story in Australian motorsport.
Legacy and Continued Career
As a co-driver for Dick Johnson Racing, Todd Hazelwood occupies a role central to the identity of Australian motorsport's endurance racing tradition, where teamwork between primary and co-drivers can decide the outcome of the sport's biggest events. His career illustrates the vital but often underappreciated pathway of drivers who sustain the sport's competitive depth by moving between full-time seasons and specialized endurance roles. Hazelwood remains an active competitor, continuing to build on years of experience across multiple teams and machinery types within the Supercars ecosystem. His story resonates with fans who follow the sport's development pipeline, from karting tracks to Mount Panorama, and he continues to represent the persistence required to remain competitive in one of the world's most demanding touring car championships. As Supercars evolves with new car generations and manufacturer lineups, drivers like Hazelwood provide continuity and experience that help shape the series' ongoing competitiveness and appeal to Australian motorsport fans.
