Jack Perkins Bio
Jack Perkins (born 22 August 1986) is an Australian professional motor racing driver who competes in the Supercars Championship’s Pirtek Enduro Cup. He currently co-drives the No. 7 Ford Mustang for Blanchard Racing Team, paired with full-time driver James Courtney. The son of retired Australian racer and former team owner Larry Perkins, he is a well-known endurance co-driver in Australian touring car racing and has also worked as a television commentator. In 2025, Perkins announced a planned expansion into NASCAR competition, marking a new chapter in his international career.
Early Life and Background
Jack Perkins was born on 22 August 1986 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. He grew up around the family racing business, Perkins Engineering, which was founded and run by his father, Larry Perkins. Larry Perkins is best known for his two Bathurst 1000 victories with Russell Ingall and his long association with the iconic No. 11 car in Australian touring car racing. Exposure to the workshop, the race transporter, and the pit lane from a young age gave Jack an early understanding of the sport’s demands.
His childhood and adolescence were shaped by the rhythms of a family team preparing for major endurance events, and by the time he was old enough to race, Jack had already absorbed the technical and strategic fundamentals of Supercars competition. That background would later help him transition smoothly into the endurance co-driving role for which he has become best known.
Path to NASCAR
Perkins’ path to NASCAR came after nearly two decades of professional racing in Australia, where he built a reputation as a dependable endurance co-driver and a versatile commentator. On 22 May 2025, it was announced that he would make his NASCAR debut in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Joe Gibbs Racing at Portland International Raceway. A later update on 26 June revealed that the debut would be moved forward to the Chicago street course race, accelerating his introduction to stock car racing.
Jack Perkins Career
Early Career (2006-2009)
Perkins began his professional career in 2006 with the family-run Perkins Engineering team in the second-tier Fujitsu V8 Supercar Development Series, driving the No. 78 Commodore alongside Shane Price. He finished third in the 2006 development series standings, and the duo were also entrusted with the No. 11 Jack Daniel’s-sponsored Commodore for that year’s endurance races, including the Sandown 500 and the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.
Following the late-season departure of Steven Richards and Paul Dumbrell, Perkins and Price were promoted to full-time main-series drives in 2007. Perkins showed flashes of speed, including a top-ten qualifying effort at Winton Raceway, but struggled with race finishes. A Type 1 diabetes diagnosis shortly before the penultimate round of 2007 forced him to step down from the No. 11, and he missed the final rounds. After getting his condition under control in 2008, he returned through the development series and was reinserted into the main championship late in the year. In 2009, he moved to Kelly Racing after a merger with Perkins Engineering, although results were scarce and he was not retained for 2010.
Supercars Endurance Era (2010-2014)
After losing his full-time drive, Perkins worked as a signwriter with Paul Morris Motorsport and returned to the development series in a spare PMM chassis. Strong performances earned him a call-up to James Rosenberg Racing for the 2010 endurance events, where he and Tim Slade finished fifth at Phillip Island. He later paired with Russell Ingall at the 2010 Gold Coast round, echoing the famous Perkins-Ingall partnership of his father’s era, and was signed by Paul Morris Motorsport for the 2011 Pirtek Enduro Cup with Ingall.
In 2011, Perkins also contested the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series with Sonic Motor Racing in a Triple Eight-built BF Falcon, supported by Bob Jane T-Marts, Supercheap Auto, Accu-Chek, and Castrol. He joined Garry Rogers Motorsport for the 2012 and 2013 endurance events, and in 2013 he paired with rookie Scott McLaughlin, matching his previous best Bathurst result of eighth. In 2014, he returned to full-time driving with Charlie Schwerkolt Racing in the No. 18 Jeld Wen Ford FG Falcon, with a strong Bathurst 1000 qualifying effort, before being replaced at season’s end.
Holden Racing Team and Walkinshaw Andretti United Era (2015-2019)
From 2015, Perkins stepped back from full-time Supercars driving to focus on the Pirtek Enduro Cup, signing with the Holden Racing Team as a co-driver alongside James Courtney. The pairing won the 2015 Gold Coast 600, and additional podiums followed at the Gold Coast in 2018 and at Bathurst in 2019, when Perkins finished third in the No. 22 Holden ZB Commodore for Walkinshaw Andretti United. His five-year run with Courtney established him as one of the premier endurance co-drivers in Australian touring car racing.
Blanchard Racing Team Era (2020-Present)
Perkins has continued to co-drive with James Courtney at Blanchard Racing Team, currently campaigning the No. 7 Ford Mustang in the Pirtek Enduro Cup. His role within the team centres on bringing veteran endurance experience and consistent race-pace feedback across the long-distance rounds at Sandown, Bathurst, and the Gold Coast. The Blanchard Racing Team partnership has also been the springboard for his long-anticipated move into NASCAR competition in 2025.
Driving Style and Strengths
Perkins is recognised for his calm temperament, consistency over long stints, and his ability to adapt quickly to different cars and team environments. His strength in endurance events lies in steady tyre management, clean pit-lane execution, and the capacity to qualify strongly, as demonstrated by his 2014 Bathurst shootout appearance. Working repeatedly with James Courtney has highlighted his value as a reliable co-driver who can hold race pace across a co-driver’s full stint.
Notable Races and Milestones
Among his signature results are the 2015 Gold Coast 600 victory with James Courtney, his 2019 Bathurst 1000 podium for Walkinshaw Andretti United, and a top-ten Bathurst qualifying shootout in 2014. His 2010 Gold Coast appearance alongside Russell Ingall is also regarded as a milestone moment, reviving the famous Perkins-Ingall partnership for a new generation of fans.
Jack Perkins Career Wins
Perkins’ verified victory highlights include the 2015 Gold Coast 600 win with James Courtney, the 2008 Fujitsu V8 Development Series round win at Oran Park, and the 2013 Dunlop V8 Supercar Series round wins with Eggleston Motorsport. His most celebrated individual performance is the 2019 Bathurst 1000 podium, his first at the Great Race.
Supercars Championship Highlights
Perkins has notched a Bathurst 1000 podium, a Gold Coast 600 victory, and multiple development-series race wins across his career. His endurance record with James Courtney, including podiums at the Gold Coast in 2015 and 2018 and at Bathurst in 2019, marks him as one of the most reliable co-drivers of his generation.
Other Wins and Performances
In the development categories, Perkins secured a round win at Oran Park in the 2008 Fujitsu V8 Development Series and finished fifth overall. With Eggleston Motorsport in 2013, he ended the Dunlop V8 Supercar Series fourth in the standings despite missing the opening Adelaide round.
Jack Perkins Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Perkins comes from one of Australia’s most recognised motor racing families. His father, Larry Perkins, is a two-time Bathurst 1000 winner with Russell Ingall, a respected engineer, and the founder of Perkins Engineering, the team that gave Jack his professional start. The No. 11 car run by Perkins Engineering became a symbol of the family’s racing identity, and Jack drove that number himself between 2007 and 2008.
Personal Life
Perkins has been open about his Type 1 diabetes diagnosis, which he received during the 2007 V8 Supercars Championship Series. He has since become a spokesperson for Diabetes Australia and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and he maintains a personal sponsorship relationship with Accu-Chek, a manufacturer of blood-glucose testing equipment. He has also spent time working as a television commentator for the Dunlop V8 Supercar Series, the Australian GT Championship, and the World Series Sprintcars.
2025 Season Performance
Perkins’ 2025 season centres on a major career milestone, his announced NASCAR debut with Joe Gibbs Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Originally scheduled for Portland International Raceway, the debut was moved forward to the Chicago street course race in June, giving him an earlier-than-expected introduction to stock car competition. The JGR opportunity positions Perkins in one of the most established teams in the Xfinity garage, with the chance to test himself on road and street courses.
On the Supercars side, Perkins continues his long-standing co-driver role with James Courtney in the No. 7 Ford Mustang for Blanchard Racing Team, contesting the Pirtek Enduro Cup rounds at Sandown, Bathurst, and the Gold Coast. His experience remains a key asset for the team’s endurance efforts, and the 2025 campaign is viewed as a year in which he balances his Australian commitments with his emergence in NASCAR.
Looking ahead, Perkins’ NASCAR debut is expected to open the door to additional international opportunities while he maintains his place in the Australian endurance scene. The combination of Joe Gibbs Racing machinery and his existing co-driver pedigree makes 2025 a defining year in his career trajectory.