People often ask me how I ended up running track days. The truth is, while Track Day Club is built around cars and motorsport, it was never really about the cars.
When we started Track Day Club back in 2011, we were never trying to build the biggest track days in the land, we simply wanted to create the sort of environment that we would want to be part of. One that is welcoming, supportive, inclusive and free from any egos. We wanted people to feel comfortable turning up, whether they were driving a highly modified track car, their daily driver, or whether it was their very first time on a racetrack.
Fifteen years later, I’ve realised the thing I’m most proud of isn’t the number of events we’ve run, the lap times achieved, or even the incredible cars that have come through our gates. It’s the people.
Over the years I’ve had the privilege of meeting thousands of drivers. The majority have been men of all ages and backgrounds, apprentices, tradies, business owners, executives, retirees, fathers, sons, husbands and mates and what I’ve learned is that while people come for the cars, they stay for the community.
I’ve watched complete strangers become lifelong friends. I’ve seen experienced drivers give up their own track time to mentor newcomers. I’ve seen people arrive knowing nobody and leave feeling like they had found their crew and I’ve also learned that connection doesn’t always happen the way people expect.
Some of the most meaningful conversations I’ve had haven’t happened across a boardroom table or in a formal meeting. They’ve happened leaning against a car in the pits, walking the track before a drivers’ briefing, or sharing a coffee between sessions.
The cars provide the reason to show up and the conversations, friendships and sense of belonging are what keep people coming back. And perhaps that matters more today than it ever has.
The last few years have been tough. Cost-of-living pressures, mortgage stress, business uncertainty and the general pace of modern life have taken their toll on many people. Track days are a discretionary spend, and I’ve seen first hand how economic conditions impact participation. But I’ve also seen something else.
When people do make the effort to come along, they’re often looking for more than a day at the track. They’re looking for a break from the pressures of everyday life and a chance to reconnect with something they enjoy. It’s a chance to spend time with people who ‘get’ them and to simply be themselves for a few hours.
Over the years, I’ve been privileged to celebrate personal bests, business successes, new jobs, engagements, weddings and the arrival of children with members of our community. I’ve also stood alongside people through illness, redundancy, relationship breakdowns and some very difficult periods in their lives. That’s what communities do.
As a woman working in what is often viewed as a male-dominated environment, I’ve had a unique opportunity to listen, observe and learn. I’ve seen how important shared interests can be in creating genuine connection. I’ve seen how friendships form through doing something together rather than sitting across from each other talking.
We’ve also worked hard to ensure Track Day Club remains welcoming to everyone. Motorsport can feel intimidating for newcomers, particularly women, and from the beginning we wanted our events to be a place where people felt comfortable asking questions, learning at their own pace and participating without judgement. One of the moments I’m most proud of was hosting an event that achieved the highest number of women participating on track in Australia. Google it, you’ll find it! Now it wasn’t important because of the number itself, but because it reflected the culture we had built, one where people felt they belonged, regardless of their experience, background or gender.
I believe that beneath the helmets, the cars and the lap times, people are simply looking for many of the same things, connection, purpose, friendship and somewhere they can feel they belong. Track Day Club has given me far more than a business. It has given me a community and after fifteen years, that’s the reason we’re still here.
Click here If this sounds like your kind of community, we’d love to welcome you to a Track Day Club event.