I’ve got to say I had mixed feelings leaving the comfort zone of six years of racing Junior Sedans. Going from the success and domination experienced in the last few years to suddenly becoming the new kid on the block in speedcar racing - facing legends the likes of Lance, Watson and Glazebrook, guys that were my hero’s, was pretty daunting. But the chance to finally get some more horsepower under my right foot in the way of a Stealth/Esslinger Midget was a dream come true.

I was fortunate and very thankful to pick up Midget Ace Joe Little’s assistance for the season. As a mentor for me and to assist with the racecar setups - his many years of experience and his methodical and unruffled approach was the difference in giving us the winning edge on race nights.

At the start of the Quit Motorplex season all rookies in Speedcars including myself had to start from the rear of field for the first three race meetings. This gave me time to adjust to driving an open wheel race car. But with two meetings under my belt, Keith Mann (Chief Steward) decided I would not have to wait the third night and moved me into the grid. The feeling of rolling around in the thick of it was totally overwhelming.

After competing in only five race meetings in debut we embarked on a grueling 4 weeks racing commitment. We started with the Laurie Matthews Memorial at Kwinana on the Saturday night and then headed straight to Parramatta City Raceway for three weeks of racing in the premier events - Champion of Champions, a round of Speedcar Super Series and the Australian speedcar Title. I had the easy part of flying in and out of Sydney with some of the crew, while Dad, Joe Little and my brother Ben did the road trip.

After flying in for The Champion of Champions my first priority was to take a look at Parramatta City Raceway. It was certainly different from the wide banked Kwinana track but having experienced many track conditions during my junior career including ES tracks for national titles and even Huntley Speedway in New Zealand I was pretty confident I could get my head dialed in for the task at hand.

In the RWR transporter the day after getting ready to race it was still hard to believe we really there. To walk around the pits and see the likes of Steven Graham, Adam Clarke, Michael Pickens, Tony Elliot and Jerry Coons Jnr there, I had to pinch myself and say WOW after only 5 races in a midget I was going to be racing against these guys. Ordinarily you would have to leave Australia to race against such a quality field.

Over the next three weeks of racing I experienced all the highs and lows that Speedcar racing had to offer. A high would have to include my first ever wheel stand down the back straight of PCR. I had always wanted to get air under the front of my machine, but having done it I have to say I’ve changed my mind.
“Hard on the gas and not being able to see where you are going in plain scary”.
Another high was winning heat 8 in the Super Series. Starting out of position three and having Tony Elliot, Jerry Coons Jnr, Steven Graham and Brad Khuns behind me you would have to say my confidence was not high but I got a great start and was into the lead in the first corner. This was to be the longest 10 laps of my life and I drove as hard and fast as I could knowing that these guys were behind me. I don’t think I took a breath of air for that entire last lap as I knew all too well that you are not there until the flag drops and that cheque flag - what a relief that was. If I did absolutely nothing else for the rest of the time we were at PCR, as a rookie, I would have been happy with that.

Finally I would have to say that qualifying out of position 16 and finishing 14th in my first Australian Title Race in Speedcars was pretty special.

The lows of my time at PCR would have to be my tip over after a meeting with a rather large PCR cushion “Yep that thing bites”. I was a bit sore the next day and if the pit crew were hoping for a few days off – that was the end of that.

Another low was the unfortunate incident with Trevor Melouf. I had to transfer from the B main starting from position 8 and with one lap to go I hade to make a move on the inside to get the last transfer spot. Having driven on the inside of Trevor in turns one and two it was pretty clear that neither of us was really willing to give an inch. Something had to give and we came together. Regrettably it was Trevor that got the worse of it getting some serious air and heading towards the PCR safety fence. Seeing his car destroyed was a terrible feeling and as a fellow competitor the last thing you want to see or be involved in. Put simply it was two drivers committed to the same thing – the last transfer spot into the A main. There was no second chance.

At the end of a grueling three weeks of racing at PCR there was no resting on our laurels. It was back to the west for our next show at Kwinana. The experience we gained through our time at PCR was beyond measure and we went back to Kwinana knowing we were leading the point’s score, confident to finish the job with three meets to go. That was until heat one. I got a great start and cleared away from the field and then bang disaster struck- motor melt down. It was devastating not only for me but the whole team with things getting worse missing another meeting while waiting for engine parts. We slipped to fourth in the points and it was always going to be hard if not impossible to get back into the top three.

The car was back on the track just time for the State Title. Adam Clarke, Nathan Smee and Ben Weiss made the trip across to make it interesting and so finishing this event in 4th was a good result for the team.

If trophies medallions and plagues are the measure for success then I have a few new ones for this season with probably pride of place being “Rookie of the Year”. But most of all I have had a fantastic time in my opening season in speedcars with thanks to the good people supporting me and racing against top competition.