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The driving force behind the
Australian Racing Team.
Welcome, my name is Wayne Chaffey, the founder of the
Australian Racing Team. I am 46 years old, occupation Motor Mechanic with the
love of Motor racing.
I was brought up in an area where dirt roads were prominent, I learnt how to
drive quite well in slippery conditions at an early age and had always aspired
to become a racing car driver.
I originally started an active interest in Motor sport in the early 70’s where I
was a volunteer scrutineer for the Hobart Sporting Car Club.
Every so often there would be working bees and club days organised by the Hobart
Sporting Car Club carried out at the Baskerville raceway. This is where I had
the opportunity to drive my FJ Holden flat out (scary) which would slow down to
40 mph quite well, but stopping was a different matter.
Motorbikes (Honda 750 K1 at the time) were also high on my agenda and on
occasion as I was entering the pits on a race day I would veer off on to the
track. Sneaking in a few hot laps before an official would pull me in and advise
of the insurance factor.
At this time I was an apprentice motor mechanic working for a Leyland dealership
in Hobart.
It was at the Baskerville raceway where I gained an insight into the running of
a very diverse array of categories available at that time.
Along with that I witnessed a lot of relatively new talent coming to the
forefront, such as Peter Brock in his Torana XU1. Escaping a near tragedy when
he lost control and put the car on its side sliding into a tree off the side of
the track stowing the roof in.
Jim Richards had also just come to Australia with his Mustang and was most
impressive with his cool calm and collective driving technique.
Alan Moffat was also showing his aggressiveness with his Capri and shortly
afterwards with his GT Falcon aptly renaming one of the corners at the
Baskerville raceway “Suckers Corner” after reading it wrong and consequently
losing control.
At the moment I am a scrutineer with the Queensland
scrutineers organisation and I do work at the Queensland raceway and Mount
Cotton hill climb circuit.
Other than this I haven’t been more than a spectator and lover of Motor sport
along with Thousands of others, of course I would have liked to be involved more
than this, but like the majority of fans I never had the opportunity or funds.
This was a very exciting time in my life and it will always be with me and is
the driving force behind what I am trying to achieve.
I don’t profess to be an expert in the field of Motor racing as a number of you
probably know more about this than I do, but what I do know is that the average
supporter will never have an opportunity to play an active roll in Motor racing.
There lies the foundation of the “Australian Racing Team” an opportunity for all
to be involved in an actual team that they can say they are part of.
All the best,
Wayne M Chaffey
Team Manager
Australian Racing Team
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