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Driving motorsport star's education
One of Australia’s best junior Kart Racers, 15-year-old All Saints Anglican College student Broc Feeney, has taken up a school-based apprenticeship to kick start a solid foundation for his professional motorsport career.
By TAFE Queensland
Growing up around motorsport, Broc Feeney is now building a name for himself in the industry. Besides racing, he works for his Dad, Paul Feeney, who is also a well-respected member of the international motorcycling community.
But Broc values the importance of business off track as much as the results on the circuit and is combining a Certificate III in Light Vehicle Mechanical Technology school-based apprenticeship with his racing career, all while completing his senior studies.
"Motor racing's a very technical sport which is more than just sitting behind the steering wheel of a car," said Broc.
"While I have people around me that are there to manage the technical and mechanical side of it, having an understanding of what they are doing to the car and why from my point of view is vitally important."
"My school-based apprenticeship allows me to apply some of the knowledge I'm gaining through my studies to racing - and since moving to car racing from karts this year, I have really noticed how much more I'm understanding about the car mechanically and why our technicians are doing what they are doing to it."
However, that's not the only benefit of completing a school-based apprenticeship for Broc.
"With a busy schedule it also gives a great degree of flexibility to my studies; it's been fantastic for me so far and I would highly recommend it as an option for any student to kick start their career."
After being at the forefront of karting in Australia for the last four seasons, 2017 saw Broc win the elite junior karting category in Australia (KA2) which has propelled him onto the world stage.
He became the first Australian to finish on the podium at the ROK International Cup and led the Main Event of the Supernats, the biggest karting event in the world, until the very last corner, finishing second be just 0.040.
In 2018, he made the transition to circuit racing and the wildly popular single-make Toyota 86 Racing Series. In the first event of the 2018 season, Broc finished 14th out of 39 competitors. He drove the car that dominated the opening season of the Series in May 2016 at the hands of Will Brown.
Broc aims to use the 2018 Toyota 86 Racing Series, coupled with the Australian KA1 Karting Championship, as a year to transition into circuit racing before taking on an international career in 2019.