Rusty's Garage

Twisting Brad Jones arm to race an Audi in the Australian Super Touring Championship but falling in love with the rival BMW. Taking on a motorsport tyre distributorship for Michelin and BF Goodrich and expanding the footprint into New Zealand and Asia. Bringing a Toyota Racing Series car to Australia in the hopes of broadening the successful Kiwi series to our side of the pond. And giving Neal Bat...

There are so many stories in our sport…not just those that take home the silverware. Trevor Sheumack has been a bit of a constant for decades in various forms of Motorsport but his story isn’t limited to just Australia.  His likeable nature and co-do approach to things saw him land roles with teams in Europe off the back of engineering his own cars at home. Learning valuable...

Rusty is joined by Code Sport’s Matt Hickey for a GP convo that could have been fueled by a Schnitty and some Apfelstrudel! George Russell is back in the winner’s circle for the first time since Australia. Was he lucky to keep that pole lap? Toto Wolff’s quote of the week and how Kimi Antonelli drove with real speed and smarts on the way to the podium. Max Verstappen keeps making...

From last minute driver call ups to team manager take outs this is a snapshot of story lines at the end of another sensational Supercars weekend in the Northern Territory. How Mark Winterbottom suddenly ended up racing at Hidden Valley while his Tickford stablemate Thomas Randle recovered from a brutal Saturday. What went wrong for Walkinshaw TWG’s Chaz Mostert almost within sight of the fin...

The serious health scare as a youngster and how it made him determined to realise his dreams. Mortgaging the family home and vital funding coming through while he was on track. Reality TV wins and putting the suit on for a critical meet with Matt Stone. Surrounding himself with good people to win Super 2 in a car that was stickered from top to toe. Timing and the commitment needed to graduate to t...

Why didn’t we do this sooner! Rusty catches up with Bathurst and former Super 2 champion Todd Hazelwood for a gripping convo. His Dad’s Desert Racing and why “Rusty” traded the bike to Hill Climb a special family car. Todd begins his own racing journey on dirt and is immediately hooked. Moving to bitumen and coming up against a young Cam Waters and Anton de Pasquale. Making...

We recorded this one with the final podium of the weekend underway for the Speed Series round at Queensland Raceway and pack down starting. Ryder Quinn is only in his early 20’s but is now part of the BMW M racing academy. He has the trademark Quinn family work ethic away from the track but has been round the sport since before he could walk. Ryder’s late start in the sport, how i...

Conquering the Castrol 6 hour and success in the legendary Swann Series. Making his mark internationally at events like the famous Suzuka 8 hour. Doing double duty - the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix and the Bathurst 1000 - in the same season! Nearly rolling a Corolla and how it became a national marketing campaign. Going from Yamaha to Kawasaki and reflections on that move now with the be...

Thanks to all of our loyal listeners who messaged and asked for this one. It’s an overdue chat with a bike racing legend who was just as skillful in Touring Cars. The unexpected medical benefits of heading west as a youngster and how early experiences with dirt bikes made a powerful impact. His vivid recollections of the late Gregg Hansford at Waneroo and how he was spellbound by his ri...

The next two weeks are some of the best on the annual Motorsport calendar with the Monaco Grand Prix and the 24 hours of Le Mans. For this episode of the Brief we have gone right back to season 1 (2018) to bring you a slice of an episode you may not have heard before - Tim Schenken. Tim is one of only a handful of Aussie’s to race Formula 1 at Monaco and he went on to race sportscars for Fer...

When the going gets tough….the tough get going as they say! Finding support from the Day Family in New Zealand and the secret to its longevity. Spreading his wings to compete abroad and doing double duties between Formula 3 and racing a Lamborghini in Asia. Stepping up to GT3’s and making it to the big stage against the likes of Valentino Rossi and more. Why Pro-Am racing is about bri...

Growing up at the bottom of the world and the strong Leitch racing genes. Being round his Dad Barry’s internationally respected Motorsport restoration business and how that ‘hands on’ learning helps to this day. Getting creative to find the budget to go racing and heading off with props in his backpack after school. Working at Highlands Motorsport Park and for Scott O’Donne...

Code Sport’s Matt Hickey makes his first appearance on the pod for the year as F1 gets ready to rock Montreal. Can anyone stop the Kimi Antonelli juggernaut? And how will his Mercedes teammate George Russell respond when he thought it was going to be his year? The Oscar Piastri/RedBull rumor and the likelihood Max Verstappen will pull up stumps on Formula One given how much he’s enjoyi...

Morphing from racer to coach and why his personality was perfect for the role. The constant thirst for information on how to be a better athlete which gave his academy international acclaim. Branching out and tackling desert enduros as well as memories of Finke in a milestone year for the race. A podium in the Castrol 6-hour - a late circuit racing bloom. Childhood memories of the Sydney Showgroun...

Glory days with his brother Dean on the family property in Sydney’s south roaring around on home made dirt karts and fold up bikes. How a trip to see legends like Roger De Coster at Oran Park in the early 1970’s left a lasting impression. Why his Dad wasn’t keen to begin with and where he gets his trademark commitment and determination. The much loved officials (who were part of...

One of the all time greats of Motorsport from the Tasman region is finally on the pod. Ken Smith has been racing since 1958 and he’s still going! The family’s love for another kind of horsepower and how Kenny would sometimes hold up the motor racing schedule to check how his horse went. Competing against (and socializing after) with some absolute legends of the 60’s and early 70&...

Awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 1987 for services to Motorsport Ken Smith wasn’t about to let that be a book end to his career. There was still so much more he wanted to do. His eye for talent and the significant help he gave in the background to sure up the future of some modern day stars. Working with Indycar great Scott Dixon, W...

Rally QLD winner Harry Bates and rookie Jackson Long join us for this edition of the shortcast fresh from the opening round of the EROAD Australian Championship. Long is part of the expanded two car Pedder’s squad and despite a scary diff issue late on Sunday he really impressed! How Jackson is adjusting his pace notes with the help of his codriver (his Dad) because of the faster speeds of h...

The vivid memories of driving the V10 Jaguar Formula One car at Monza and a frightening crash at Ascari that wasn’t his fault. How Michael Schumacher stopped to help, off the charts crash data and the injuries James suffered that would keep him out of the car for months. Taking a career detour and conquering Japan plus the little known Indycar option and a potential second chance at F1....

How sampling a kart at Lithgow started the journey and it clicked straight away. Borrowing chain oil from the late Jim Morton and how his generosity put JC on course for Europe. Living alone in Italy in his mid teens and the future F1 stars who tried to scare him at the Karting World Championships. Thinking he was at the end of the road until a chance catch-up with Neil Crompton opened the do...

That’s the title of a new book by respected writer Stewart Bell and he’s in the Garage studio to talk about it in a special bonus shortcast in our feed this week. Bell has been a regular in the Formula One paddock since the late 90’s covering it for print media, digital, social and television for Associated Press, Sky Sports UK, publications in Hong Kong, India, Top Gear, GQ &amp...

It was meant to be a shortcast but Rusty’s convo with AFL Hall of Famer Brad Johnson runs over 30 minutes and it’s a beauty! How the Bulldogs legend and his family have taken to motorsport as son Jack pursues a professional career behind the wheel. What it was like riding alongside his son in the Soutar Motorsport McLaren Artura GT4 at Phillip Island. The impression Jack made at the op...

Granddaughter of a pioneer, daughter of a legend in Marcos Ambrose….how Tabitha is forging her own path. The racing bond with her Dad and why this relentless pursuit has to be fun, being the first in the family to pick up a trophy at Bathurst and how it all started. When Dad showed up at school in the US with a very cool car, racing in Formula Ford and why it’s so important...

That first ride on a 500cc Grand Prix bike - Kevin Magee remembers it in visceral detail. Racing in Japan and the mark he made there on the way to what we now know as MotoGP. Racing for Kenny Robert’s Yamaha including a podium in Portugal. Finally adding his name to that prestigious list of Grand Prix winners on a memorable day in Spain. A frightening cool down lap crash in the lat...

We’re joined by former Fox Motorsport bike racing expert Kevin Magee for this fascinating two-parter. Growing up in country Victoria and showing fearless talent on a bike to learning what made machines really fire and how to get the best out of them. Early racing opportunities and juggling his passion with work including the story of finishing one job at lunch and starting another that...