It is the 56th time Darren Smith and Garry O’Brien have had the opportunity to corner someone to tell their story. It generally starts with how they fell for the sport and then the progression to where they are today.
Steve Shelley comes from five generations of soft drink makers in Sydney. The family operated Shelley Soft Drinks which eventually became a part of Coca-Cola. His grandfather then started Bert’s soft drinks in 1968, which is still running as a family business.
Steve left a predictable future and a family dynasty and founded Aero-Care, a ground-handling business at Sydney airport that ultimately went worldwide. He later launched Deputy a software business that helps corporations manage employees.
Steve enjoyed motor racing at a grassroots level. While he competed interstate, he particularly enjoyed their outings at the Marulan Driver Training Centre and Wakefield Park, both in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales.
He passion for those two venues was so that he was able to buy both and transform them into what is now the Pheasant Wood Circuit and One Raceway respectively.
Steve began his motorsport journey with track days aboard a Radical SR3 which quickly progressed to racing in 2011. He brought a Mazda MX5 to contest the grassroots Winton and Wakefield 300s. That led to a couple of Mitsubishi Evos and later a Lotus Elise.
In all he competed in a dozen 300s with son Jake for two outright victories, two seconds, a third, a fourth and a fifth in the enduros.
It was the makeover of Marulan and then the subsequent total rejuvenation of Wakefield Park that occupies much of our podcast. It was particularly with the latter and the much-needed co-operation of local government authorities and the impacted residents in the aftermath to circuit’s closure before Steve purchase it.
The story is fascinating and by no means over. There will be more to come from the man and his family that fed a need and a passion.
Also catch up on the other 55 grassroots racing podcasts from those who started there and talk through their racing careers.
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