Racing around the speedway at over 100km/h, Brett Hehir hopes to leave his mark on Australian wingless sprint car racing this weekend.
A fiend for the speedway, Brett made the transition from go karting to wingless racing around two years ago when a friend introduced it to him, giving him the “speedway bug”.
Two years and countless races later, Brett is competing in his first Australian Wingless Sprint Championship at the Archerfield Speedway this weekend where he hopes to prove himself amongst the best in the country.
“Hopefully we have a good weekend, finish all our races and finish up the front,” Brett said.
“It’s going to be a lot of competition and a big ask to get to the final.”
The Australian Titles got underway yesterday, Thursday, April 27, with a practise day followed by scrutineering and Calcutta on Friday, heats Saturday and Sunday being the main race day.
Brett will be competing against over 70 other drivers from all over the country, but he’s come prepared; just four weeks earlier, Brett was part of the Easter Trail, including Queensland State Titles in Maryborough, where he placed 12th in the state, a race in Archerfield to prepare for the big dance and a race in Toowoomba.
He also won the Wingless class of “Thunder in Canefields” in Mareeba last year, setting the track lap record.
Brett loves the competitive nature of the race.
“It’s pretty close racing and everyone’s pretty much got the same car,” he said.
“It comes down to your car setup and your driving ability, because everyone’s engines are the same,” added his wife, Nicole.
“It’s probably a cheaper way to get into the speedway if you wanted to get into it,” said Brett.
Not one to overprepare, Brett said he’s nervous but excited for the big race this weekend.
“I just rock up and have a go,” he said.
“But there’s a lot of work on the car to get it right.
“If you do 99% of it in the shed at home, when you get to the track you can just relax.”
As the season comes to an end, Brett’s future races will depend on his work roster, but after ticking Australian Titles off the list, his wingless sprint car journey will be far from over.
Brett Hehir is competing in his first Australian Wingless Sprint Championship in Archerfield this weekend. Photo supplied: Nicole Hehir
