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WHEN it comes to consistency, it’s one of the keys to success in Sprintcars. For Matt Peaker, it’s one of his main focuses throughout the 2023-24 season as he plans to up his game in the Limited Sprintcar ranks.
After over a decade of competing in Sprintcars on a casual basis across Limited, 360 and 410 classes, the Geraldton, Western Australia-based racer is not only chasing consistency on the track but being able to run a consistent amount of race meetings during the season. Just last season, Peaker ran his first full season schedule since stepping into Sprintcars and it saw him perform consistently and he was rewarded for this with a fourth-place finish in the WA Limited Sprintcar Club Championship point standings, which included a handful of minor podium feature-race finishes.
“Up until last season, I hadn’t been able to complete a full season schedule for one reason or another, so it was great to be able to put together a full season and it certainly helped me as a driver with the regular track time,” explained Peaker.
“Being able to race on a regular basis saw a marked improvement in me as a driver and also when it came to car setup, as the more you race, the more you are able to benefit performance wise.”
With a full season now under his belt, Peaker is really looking forward to another full campaign in the 2023-24 season.
“My goal for the season ahead is to hopefully move closer to the pointy end of the field,” he said.
“The Limited Sprintcar class is very competitive but at the same time enjoyable, and when you combine the two, it allows you to go out there on the track and continue to learn and improve with every outing.”
For this current season, Peaker is armed with a new J&J car and a Harris Race Engines prepared 360 engine that is fitted with steel heads and a carburettor to comply with the Limited Sprintcar specifications. Apart from his updated equipment, Peaker is receiving a lot of support from his main sponsor John and Nola Patience from Patience Bulk Haulage.
“The whole Patience family plays a big part towards me getting to go Sprintcar racing, especially John and Nola’s son Michael who is the car owner and he helps a lot with the car,” Peaker added.
“Sprintcar racing certainly isn’t a cheap form of motorsport, so to have the Patience family jump onboard with my team as a sponsor is very much appreciated and it goes a long way towards helping me be competitive out on the race track.”
At the age of 45, Peaker isn’t going to be racing in speedway for too much longer, and he is now looking towards the future.
“I have my 16-year-old son Steven waiting in the wings and he is set to be making his first steps into Sprintcars towards the end of the season, and I’m looking forward to helping my son with the transition into Sprintcars,” he enthused.
“Apart from Steven getting into Sprintcars, my car owner Michael’s 18-year-old son Henry is also going to jumping behind the wheel of a Sprintcar, so the future is a very exciting one, as the next generation comes through, and we form a two-car team.”
So far this season, Peaker has contested two race meetings, which saw his season opening meeting at Ellenbrook Speedway last month come to a premature end due to being innocently involved in a crash during the heat-race action, while last Saturday night, he ventured to Kalgoorlie International Speedway with a rebuilt race car and managed to bring home an eighth-place finish in the feature race.
The next outing for Peaker and his team is going to be at the Perth Motorplex on November 18 for the third WA Limited Sprintcar Series round, which will double as the annual King of Wings / Merv Woolford Memorial events.
Peaker and his team would like to thank their 2023-24 season supporters:
• Patience Bulk Haulage
• Giles Mechanical Services
• Geraldton Parts
• Avalon Group
• West Weld Engineering
• Patience Sandland
• EBM
• NTI
• RNA Fabrications
• Hosexpress
• BPH WA Pty Ltd
• Boomerang Engineering
• Midwest Turf Supplies
SPECIAL THANKS: Peaker would like to thank his wife Danielle for all of her ongoing support, along with the rest of his family and friends.
To find out more about Peaker and his team, LIKE them on Facebook by searching Peaker Motorsports / Patience Racing.
Photo: Peter Roebuck
