STUDENTS LIVING IN THE FAST LANE
Wilsonton SHS gets a first-hand look at V8s
MOTOR SPORT: Ten Wilsonton State High School students were given the opportunity to get up close and personal with their V8 heroes, conducting work experience at the Ipswich Super Sprints event.
Madi McDuff was one of the lucky students to take part in the Students on Track program, and said it was an experience she won’t forget.
“I’ve never done anything like that before. It was awesome,” the 17-year-old said.
“I’ve been down to the V8s three times now and I really enjoy it. It’s really cool to go and watch.
“Getting involved was one of the best experiences.
“The whole crew were the nicest people. They were very accommodating as well.”
McDuff had the honour of working alongside previous champion Garth Tander.
“When we first arrived we did basic cleaning and wiping over everything,” she said.
“When they started practices we would spin the wheels so that the brakes didn’t warp. We would help push it out when they were leaving the pits and in-between practices we were doing the tires.
“We would put the pressure up in them and drain a couple of them.
“We also changed tires. We did a lot of that during pit stops.”
Youth support co-ordinator Shane Adshead said it was a special moment for the school’s students to be involved in the opportunity, which was the first of its kind.
“Madi’s experience was something that no other young person was able to do,” Adshead said.
“It was actually an Australian-first that V8 Supercars have partnered with Wilsonton State High School to offer young people work experience placements with actual racing crews for that day.
“We’re always looking for opportunities to broaden the horizons of our students, so to get the feedback from V8s that we would be the school to offer those placements, John (Joyce, engineering teacher) and myself were absolutely ecstatic, and also very jealous.
“To see Madi working on Garth’s car and to see Garth and Mark Skaife and other V8 royalty walking around, it was just amazing to see a young person have that opportunity.
“Madi was catered for by the V8 Supercars teams, so she also got to see the transport trucks and everything behind the scenes.”