Riley Macqueen bought his first car just over a year ago. It was a racing car. He was 15-years-old.
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The car, a 2002 V8 Holden Commodore SS, is the tool MacQueen hopes will shoot him to the top of Australian motorsport, and beyond, and it’s already bearing positive results.
MacQueen received the CAMS 2017 NSW/ACT Future Star Award for his exploits on the track after an impressive debut season.
“I was overwhelmed,” MacQueen said. “Winning the award was a complete surprise. There was a lot of talent nominated for that award, to get it was great. Out of all the categories of motorsport, everything counted. It was great, a good feeling.”
The 16-year-old Albion Park student became a member of Wollongong Sporting Car Club and began racing cars after four years driving karts.
“I love the adrenaline really, it’s a really big high. Every time I get into the car, there’s always the same adrenaline.
“The fact that you’re driving a car at speed and can do it safely, it’s pretty great. I love the power compared to the go-karts.”
Despite spending just a year in the driver’s seat, MacQueen has already recorded a number of outstanding results. Racing in the Hillclimb series, a safe, time trial-based competition, he very quickly shot to the top of the standings.
MacQueen was named 2017 NSW Junior Hillclimb Champion and finished fifth overall in his category.
This past weekend, he was lucky enough to race at the famed Mt Panorama, where he was the fastest junior in events conducted on different sections of the track on both Saturday and Sunday.
Macqueen is an avid fan of the Supercars series, where he idolises legend Craig Lowndes.
However, he also looks up to emerging stars Chaz Mostert and Scott McLaughlin, two drivers who have marked out a path for youngsters such as MacQueen to chase their Supercars dream and reach the top of the sport.
One day, MacQueen hopes to return to Mt Panorama to contest the Bathurst 1000 in a Supercar.