Matthew started his competition career as a 15-year old racing Junior Sedans at speedways across Victoria and his career has been on an upward climb ever since. After a brief stint in the Junior Sedan category, he moved to the V8 Dirt-Modified division for 4 years where he won a South Australian State Title and ran 2nd and 3rd in subsequent years of the Australian Championship event. At 21 years of age he transferred the motor out of the Dirt Modified into an ex-Brett Lacey Tiner sprint-car chassis and commenced his sprintcar career.

His list of achievements is impressive, given that he has raced these awesome cars for over 10 years now.  He is a 6x time SRA (Sprintcar Racing Association of Victoria) Series champion, the only 6x time winner in the Victorian statewide-Series’ 15-year history.

A duel winner of the Victorian Sprintcar Championship, he has multiple feature race victories at tracks across Australia including Avalon, Warrnambool, Moama, Nyora, Ballarat, Horsham, Simpson, Bacchus Marsh and Parramatta City Raceway in Sydney, NSW. During the Australian winter of 2008 he shipped his entire team from it's Melbourne base to compete across various tracks in the United States, culminating in a feature race victory at Sharon Speedway in Hartford, Ohio.

The visits to America in recent years has seen Matthew roll back his Australian schedule and concentrate mainly on local events across Victoria in an effort to preserve finances. He has won the past 3 track championships at Avalon Raceway in Geelong which have been richly rewarding with the first prize this year being a brand new Ford Fiesta car valued at $18,000.

During his overseas visits, he has competed in genuine World of Outlaw and All Star events, raced at the Knoxville Nationals and at historically significant tracks such as Williams Grove Speedway in Pennsylvania and Eldora Speedway in Ohio. 

 

 

1991 – 92           

  • Started racing at the age of 15 in Junior Sedans

 1992 – 93           

  • Began racing V8 Dirt Modifieds

 1993 – 94         

  • 2nd place in Australian V8 Dirt Modified Championship

 1994 – 95          

  • Feature win at Bordertown Speedway, South Australian V8 Dirt Modified Championship
  • 2nd place in Victorian V8 Dirt Modified Championship
  • 3rd place in Australian V8 Dirt Modified Championship

 1995 – 96          

  • Rookie year in sprintcars running a 360ci motor.
  • 3rd place in first ever start in a sprintcar against open competition

 1996 – 97        

  • Won SRA feature at Avalon Raceway.
  • Won SRA Series

 1997 – 98           

  • Won SRA features at Avalon Raceway, Nyora Raceway and Blue Ribbon Raceway.
  • Won SRA Series for the 2nd time

 1998 – 02           

  • Limited number of races due to lack of funds.

 2002 – 03           

  • Won Gold Cup at Avalon Raceway.
  • Won the SRA Series for the 3rd time.
  • Total of 7 podium finishes.

 2003 – 04           

  • Won feature at Parramatta City Raceway, Sydney with a 372ci motor against the 410’s.
  • Total of 8 podium finishes.
  • Won the SRA Series for the 4th time.

 2004 – 05           

  • Raced small amount of local shows due to lack of funds.
  • Spent some time during winter working as a mechanic with Terry McCarl’s World of Outlaw team alongside Steve Fitzpatrick and Gary Isom.

 2005 – 06           

  • Competed with national touring series World Series Sprintcars as a contracted driver for the first time finishing the series in 8th place.
  • Set quick time at Brisbane Speedway on first ever visit to the track.

 2006 – 07           

  • Won SRA features at Avalon Raceway (2x), Blue Ribbon Raceway, Nyora Raceway, Simpson Speedway and Rolling Thunder Raceway.
  • Won the Victorian Sprintcar Championship at Premier Speedway, Warrnambool.
  • Won Avalon Raceway Track Championship.
  • Set new track record at Simpson Speedway.
  • Total of 9 podium finishes.

 2007 – 08           

  • Winner SRA Eureka Series for the 5th time
  • Won Avalon Raceway Track Championship for the 2nd time.
  • Total of 7 podium finishes in Australia.
  • First ever trip to America to compete at racing events throughout Ohio and Pennsylvania resulting in a Feature race victory at Sharon Speedway, Ohio.
  • Set new track record at Skyline Speedway, Ohio.

 2008 – 09           

  • Feature wins at Heartland Raceway, Avalon Raceway, Simpson Speedway,
  • Winner SRA Eureka Series for the 6th time.
  • Won Avalon Raceway Track Championship for the 2nd time.

 2009 – 10           

  • Raced a small amount of local shows in Australia due to limited finances.
  • Won Avalon Raceway Track Championship for the 3rd time.
  • Raced across Ohio and Pennsylvania again during the Australian winter, with a best result of 2nd behind Dale Blaney at an All Star Speedweek show at Wayne County Speedway, Orrville, Ohio after earlier in the night setting 'Quick-time' in qualifying.

 

 

Matthew is a signwriter and manages his own signwriting business, a business he started as an 18-year old. The business occupies much of his time, between completing the work and developing the growth to ensure its future success.

Outside of speedway, he enjoys Australian Rules Football and he supports the Collingwood Football Club with great vigor.

 


website and photos by daniel beard