It’s not unusual for kids to pursue the same passions as their parents, as is often the case in speedway, and while it may have taken some time to make his transition into the sport, Mat Stevenson is thoroughly enjoying sharing driver duties with his dad Greg.
With a speedway background that stems back to the mid-1980s, Greg Stevenson is somewhat of a veteran in the Modified Sedans class, having joined the fold at the age of 17.
Despite having stepped away from the sport shortly after his son Mat was born, Greg remained an avid spectator over the years, later being joined at the track by Mat who had begun to develop his own interest in the sport, before deciding to return to Modified Sedan competition in the 2015-16 season, contesting all of the major events up and down the east coast.
Getting his first taste of competitive racing on two wheels rather than four, Mat’s motorsport career began in Motocross, before the 24-year-old eventually took to the sidelines to focus on other commitments.
It wasn’t until the beginning of the 2018-19 season when an opportunity arose to pilot the NSW # 3 Kelley Body Works supported BA Ford Falcon that Mat decided to grasp it with both hands, making his speedway debut in pleasing fashion.
Having since participated in three race meetings, one at Moruya’s Surfair Speedway and two at Goulburn Speedway, both of which he managed to win, Mat’s introduction to speedway is proving to be a rewarding one.
“Coming from a Motocross background, there’s quite a lot to get used to in terms of the car itself, but so far I’m really enjoying it,” commented the resident of Belconnen, ACT.
“There’s definitely a learning curve when it comes to knowing where to put the car on the track and being cautious of contact or damage, but there’s a real adrenaline rush that goes with it as well.
“Being able to race with my dad is pretty special and he’s got a lot of knowledge and experience that I’ve found extremely helpful. The whole family has been involved in the past few race meetings, so it’s very much a family affair for us.”
Equally as pleased to be racing with his son, Greg mirrored his son’s sentiments.
“It’s great to see Mat out there on the track and I’m really proud of him for embracing this opportunity and putting in the hard yards to learn as much as he can,” he expressed.
“He’s still very much just learning the ropes, but he’s done a fantastic job so far in coming to grips with the Modified Sedan and I’m excited to see how he improves moving forward.”
For their next outing, Greg will be hoping to utilise his experience as he contests next weekend’s National Title at Kingaroy Speedway, while Mat’s looking forward to doing as much racing as possible next season in order to build up his race craft.
The Stevensons would like to thank the following 2018-19 season sponsors for their support: Kelley Body Works, Genesis Racing Shocks, Car Craft Accident Repair Centres, Capital Paint, Down Under Graphics, and Tri Tech Lubricants.
Mat would also like to give special thanks to his mum and dad Bronwyn and Greg, and his grandma Patricia.
