Scott Buchholz (Wright, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to acknowledge a bloke from my electorate by the name of Brendon Pingel, a name that none of you will know, but hopefully over the next couple of days his name will be a name that most Australians know. Brendon is one of Australia's fastest up-and-coming car racers. After inheriting a lifetime love of cars from his father, who raced Formula 2 nationally, he has committed his life to going as fast as he can.

After cutting his teeth on the closed circuit motor-racing runs around Queensland, he moved into the big league—the lightning-fast Aussie Racing Cars league, which sees up to 50 cars on a track at a time. He took out rookie of the year in 2011. He was 25. In his first season in the Aussie Racing Cars league, he finished in a top 10 position out of 70 drivers, the best for a driver in their rookie season in the 11-year history of the class. Since then he has gone from strength to strength, moving up the Aussie Racing Cars leadership board in 2012, 2013 and 2014.

This year, 2015, is shaping up to be his best year. A career highlight came for Brendon when he took out the Aussie Racing Cars round at Bathurst. He became the first Queenslander in the history of the series to take out an overall victory at the gruelling Mount Panorama circuit at Bathurst. He also broke the lap speed record. This triumph extended his championship lead, after having already won four out of the five double-points final races so far this year.

Brendon drives a car named the 'Spirit of the Lockyer'. I wish him the very best in the finals coming up this weekend.