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Dancing or driving with the stars . . . it's all the same for one popular entertainer, writes Glenis Lindley
ALTHOUGH there is little similarity between tractors or old utes and modern day race cars, that's how Grant Denyer began his racing career - learning to drive on the family farm near Wagga Wagga.
"I was about seven when I took an interest in driving Dad's old ute and discarded go-kart around the farm. By about 12, I'd graduated to a tractor," beamed Denyer with his inevitable grin.
"Back then I was propped up on phone books to see over the steering wheel of my beat-up paddock bashers. Still have that same trouble seeing over the wheel of a V8," he quipped.
Down the track, young Denyer became hooked on motor racing and used to roam around the back of the pits and track at the now-defunct Amaroo Park Raceway, when his father Craig was racing, picking up bits of crashed cars.
Dad was heavily involved with motor racing and its promotion, hence the youngster's total fascination with the sport.
Then came a shift to the Gold Coast and a change of direction to SeaFM, with Craig as general manager, but motorsport always remained a firm family interest.
Go-kart racing replaced tractors for Grant, who quickly progressed up the ladder to sharing a Mazda 626 in the...