It’s official. Current AFPGP Championship Leader, Brock Cohen, has withdrawn from this weekend’s Round Two of the 2022 Australian Formula Powerboat Grand Prix Series on Lake Mulwala.

This morning Brock spoke to PRW.

I simply ran out of time. The baby is yet to arrive but can be here any day, so this now takes priority and I have had to withdraw from the race regretfully but understandably.

However, it is not all bad news. Last week PRW confirmed that Brock’s DAC is already on its way to the track along with teammate and younger brother, Damon’s, BABA hull and equipment.

PRW can now exclusively announce that Will Parker will be piloting Brock’s boat in his absence.

Will Parker, alongside his father (Kevin) were a seriously competitive two boat team in Australia’s Formula 3 class from 2011 – 2017, with Will winning the National Championship in 2013.

Brock had this to say.

I went to Will Parker as we had both competed in the F3 class against each another for several years and I believe F3 is one of the best racing classes in the word and one of the hardest boats to drive at speed. I wanted someone in my boat that I could trust and a fellow F3 driver I can trust.

This image shows Brock Cohen holding Will Parker in the water at the start of the race when Cohen was racing in the Formula Future (15hp Juniors) class.

As Parker is making his debut in the Formula GP class, he will be regulated to start from the rear of the grid all weekend regardless of qualifying result. PRW can also confirm that the points are allocated to the driver not the boat, so he cannot collect points on Cohen’s behalf.

Parker told PRW.

This is a fantastic opportunity for me; however, I wish it were Brock racing this weekend due to him and Damon leading the championship, but I can’t deny that I am definitely excited that I get to race this weekend. The boy’s boats are fast, and their equipment is top calibre, they have done well.

Brock finished by saying.

We have put in so much effort and our sponsors are amazing to us, so it was really important to ensure regardless of my situation that we had both boats competing this weekend. I just need Parker to circulate and try take some points away from the other competitors and minimise how far I fall behind in the championship by missing this race. The most important thing however is that Damon has a solid weekend and comes away leading the championship – if I get any chance, I could sleep easier at night knowing I’ve lost the lead to him.

All the team at PRW wish both Britney and Brock all the best and we are looking forward to welcoming a new ‘Junior Racer’ to the world.

You can follow Cohen Bros Racing on their respective social media platforms below:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/CohenBrosRacing
Instagram: @CohenBrosRacing
Website: www.cohenbrosracing.com.au