It is the 77th time Darren Smith and Garry O’Brien have had the opportunity to hear someone tell their story. Christian Pancione talks about his start in motorsport from his beginnings in radio control cars and karts through to the popular one-make series.

We also catch up on the latest happenings on the state and club motorsport scene as the 2026 season gets underway.

https://player.captivate.fm/episode/b2f0cd9e-c689-4ef4-a87d-60843ff33a4b/

Now 24, Christian started racing at the age of 10 and won his first race in karting at a competitive level in 2015.

In his karting career under the guidance of James Sera, he raced wheel to wheel with close friend and F1 McLaren ace Oscar Piastri, Triple Eight’s Broc Feeney and other future stars. He then competed successfully in Porsche Sprint Challenge and Carrera Cup.

In 2016 he contested in his first international racing event at the Las Vegas Super Nats, in the Junior X30 category against a field of 80. He returned in 2017, this time in the Senior X30 category.

It was his second race as a Senior among a field of 100, he came through to finish in the top 20. In 2017 he became the Val Findlay Junior Karting Champion and the Queensland Junior State Champion OKJ. In his last year in racing karts, he finish the Australian Championship in 4th place and the Victorian State Championship in 2nd.

Six wins made him the 2018 Porsche Michelin GT3 Cup Challenge Australian Class B Champion and the following year he was finishing in the top five in the outright Pro class. After the interruption caused by Covid in 2020 and 2021, he was back in the one-make category and after starting the year in Sprint Challenge, moved to Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup.

It is also worth catching up on the other entertaining 77 Grassroots Racing Podcasts. We have had many of the big names in the sport, where they discuss where it started for them and their progression through their careers.