In his home country of Parker has been a successful rider winning the South Australian Individual Speedway Championship four times (1991, 1994, 2001 and 2002),[4] Parker made his senior debut at the North Arm Speedway on 4 May 1986 riding an older 2 valve bike which was all his father could afford to buy.
Following the 1991 Australian title, Parker was suspended from riding on 14 February at an Auto Cycle Union (ACU) of NSW Disciplinary Meeting in Sydney and fined A$1,000 as a result of riding in the Johnnie Hoskins Trophy meeting at the Newcastle Motordrome New Year's Day when it was discovered that he did not have a 1991 FIM racing licence.
A maximum ban of two years was rumoured as had he crashed and been injured the insurance covering the meeting would have been invalid.
However a solicitor representing him successfully argued that as speedway riding was Parker's main source of income he would be deprived of his chance to earn a living with the longer ban and he was suspended until 1 April instead.
Parker, who had lost his opening heat to twice former national champion Glenn Doyle, won his next three rides and went into his last ride of the meeting (heat 19) needing to win to finish on 14 points to force a run-off with Adams, but could only finish second behind Queensland rider Tony Langdon.
[5] He won the Scottish Open Championship in 1996, was the Elite League KO Cup Winner in 2001 with the Peterborough Panthers.
Parker represented Australia in the Speedway World Pairs Championship Final in 1992 held in Lonigo, Italy.
Parker completed a successful return home to Adelaide for 2012-13 when he won the Gillman Speedway Division 1 Solo Championship on 2 February 2013.
Only beaten in his first ride of the night, veteran Parker, still a favourite of the Adelaide crowd after some 27 years of senior racing, showed the younger riders the way around the 300 metres (330 yd) long track, top scoring in the heats, and after grabbing the lead from the start, easily won the four lap final from local rider Robert Branford, with newly crowned Australian Under-21 champion, 16-year-old Max Fricke finishing third, and Justin Sedgemen from Mildura finishing fourth.
[10] Parker backed this up by winning the 2014 Gillman Championship from Victorian riders Justin Sedgemen and Max Fricke.
While still racing in the 2013-14 season, Parker also finds himself back where he began at the Sidewinders Speedway helping with junior rider development.