AT 21 years old Matt Campbell will be one of the youngest drivers in action at Mount Panorama this weekend, but what he might lack in experience he certainly makes up in talent.
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Campbell will make his Bathurst 1000 debut as co-driver for Nissan’s Todd Kelly, while he will also be contesting the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia round.
He leads the Carrera Cup Series after six rounds, having amassed 856.5 points, while Alex Davison is second on 819.
Campbell has won four of the last five races contested in the all-Porsche series and if he can top Friday morning’s qualifying session, will make it six poles in succession. It would equal the series record of motor sport great Jim Richards.
On his way to placing third in the series last year, Campbell won the Bathurst round on the back of a win and a second placing. He clocked the race lap record (2:07.4299) and qualifying lap record as well (2:06.2099).
Yet Campbell does not want to look too far ahead.
“It’s been a little bit of a funny season to be honest, we’ve been a little bit up and down, but we’ve been very, very fast and had some fantastic races and hopefully we can carry that into this weekend,” he said.
“We won the round here last year and a couple of races, so I am really looking forward to the races again and hopefully we can have some great pace here.
“A the moment it is a round by round thing, you can’t think about it too much because there are so many races to come. You have just got to go into each round and try your best.”
For Campbell, who was fastest in Thursday’s opening practice session with a 2:09.3801, racing at Mount Panorama continues a family tradition.
His grandfather Bill and Aunty ‘TC’ have previously put their skills to the test at the Bathurst circuit.
“I have been coming here for a long time and watching the event, so to be taking part in it for the first time this year is something very surreal and obviously a huge challenge for myself. I am really looking forward to the opportunity and the experience,” he said.
“My family used to race in the smaller categories here, the support races. My Aunty has raced here in a 1000 support race in Group N, she has raced here in Formula Vee, my grandfather has raced here in Formula Vee and also Touring Cars.
“So they’ve raced a fair few different cars here and I’ve raced here in similar cars so, I really enjoy driving around this place.”
Balancing Carrera Cup and Supercars duties will keep Campbell busy at Bathurst, but it is also a prospect he relishes.
He is hoping that he can gain confidence from his Carrera Cup drives and help Kelly improve on their seventh placing in last month’s Sandown 500.
“It takes a lot of concentration to drive around here, you are a lot closer to the wall, so that extra mileage transferring across to the Supercar, having the confidence going across from the Carrera Cup car to the Supercar, I think that will be a big bonus,” he said.
