Matt Campbell tells Speedcafe.com’s Stefan Bartholomaeus about winning Porsche’s Junior Program Shootout and heading to the Supercup in 2017.
CLICK HERE for Speedcafe.com’s earlier news story on Campbell’s success.
SPEEDCAFE: Matt, congratulations. Firstly, how did you find out that you’d won the Scholarship?
MATT CAMPBELL: The phone call came from Andrea Hagenbach who is one of the key people involved in the Porsche Motorsport Junior Program.
She gave me a call and let me know from Germany. It was obviously very exciting and nerve wracking as well.
It was late afternoon, I was just at home. I saw the German number come up and knew my life was about to go one way or the other.
Thankfully it came through for us.
SPEEDCAFE: You’re obviously pretty stoked. How do you describe the feeling?
CAMPBELL: It’s hard to fathom really.
It’s a massive, massive thing for myself being part of the Porsche family and moving my career forward.
It’s a tremendous opportunity and a real once-in-a-lifetime chance.
I’m looking forward to the future for what it holds, but at the same time I’m a little bit nervous.
SPEEDCAFE: The Scholarship isn’t a full budget, so you have to fill the gap. Did you have that already lined up with your backers?
CAMPBELL: Obviously it is only a partly funded Supercup program, but being a Porsche Junior has a lot of other benefits attached as well.
The fitness and communications training and ability to work with the other Porsche works drivers is a major thing.
We’ve got a tremendous program set up (with investors in Australia) and we have great guys a part of it that will make up the funding shortfall to ensure we can make the most of it.
SPEEDCAFE: Did you have a back-up plan for 2017?
CAMPBELL: Our main focus was obviously to do Supercup off the back of the Shootout result, but we didn’t have anything major as a back-up.
If we weren’t successful we would have stayed in Australia and tried to move forward, possibly in Supercars.
We would not have been able to find the full budget for Supercup without the Scholarship, that’s for sure.
SPEEDCAFE: Do you know which team you’re going to run with yet?
CAMPBELL: Not as yet. We’re currently working through that process and have been in discussions with a few teams.
I’m heading over to Germany later this week for the Porsche Night of Champions and have further discussions with Porsche about these things.
SPEEDCAFE: The other side of it of course is moving over there. It’s a long way from Warwick…
CAMPBELL: Hopefully we can get more information on that this week as well, there’s a lot of questions to ask.
I’ve always lived at home in Warwick with mum, so it’ll be a big change for me but it’s something I’m really looking forward to.
SPEEDCAFE: In terms of the on-track side of it next year, what are your expectations?
CAMPBELL: It’s hard to say. I don’t like to set big expectations and goals or anything like that.
I’ll just go into the year fresh and give it a red hot go.
Hopefully we can do alright, but obviously the competition in Europe is very, very tough.
It’ll be good to test myself and see where I’m at against the world’s best.
SPEEDCAFE: There’ll be a lot of new tracks for you to learn, but you must be excited about sampling some of those iconic Formula 1 venues?
CAMPBELL: Having only raced in Australia and New Zealand previously, to go and race in places like Spa and Monaco and everywhere like that is real bucket list type stuff.
To be able to race at those tracks and in a brand new 991 Cup Car is going to be very surreal.
SPEEDCAFE: Does this rule you out of Supercars enduros for next year?
CAMPBELL: I’m not too sure at this stage, I’ll have to talk to Porsche.
But my main goal is certainly going to be focussing on Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.
I haven’t even looked at the calendars yet, but the main thing is for me to make the most of this opportunity.
SPEEDCAFE: You mentioned earlier that you have a team of investors here that have backed your career.
You don’t come from a wealthy family, so you must have a few people that you’d like to acknowledge for helping you get to this point.
CAMPBELL: In 2014 we set up the Matt Campbell Racing company that people could buy shares in.
Becoming an equity partner means they made an investment in my future which has funded my two years in Carrera Cup, along with the sponsorship that we’ve been able to bring in.
It’s structured to pay back dividends out of my future earnings over a set time period.
If it wasn’t for these guys who invested in me and my future, I wouldn’t be here.
I can’t thank enough the people who have come on board, putting their faith in me and making everything possible.
SPEEDCAFE: Your grandfather Bill Campbell was heavily involved in the early days of your career and sadly passed away just before your Carrera Cup debut last year. What do you think he’d make of this?
CAMPBELL: I think he’d be very, very proud.
He was the one who really got me into motor racing, growing up around it at Morgan Park.
He was at the first meeting with Michael Hovey, Andy McElrea, Grant Sparks and my mum where we set out some goals for my future, which included going to the Porsche Shootout.
I’m sure he’d be very proud to see us tick that box and move onto the next step.
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