When the Tony Quinn Foundation launched in 2021, one of the very first drivers it backed wasn’t a karter-turned-circuit-racer, but a Speedway kid from Western Springs.
Matt McCutcheon’s journey is anything but traditional – from his father’s Midget racing roots to a Formula Ford title, a Super3 podium on debut, and now finding his way back into the sport. Here is the story of Matt McCutcheon.
Matt’s love for the sport began long before he ever thought about racing himself, growing up surrounded by the sights and sounds of Western Springs Speedway.
“I grew up around racing from the time I could walk, watching my Dad compete in Midgets at Western Springs,” Matt recalls.
“At first, I never thought I’d actually get to race myself, so I just loved working on cars with Dad in the workshop late into the night. Then one day, Dad got a call from Peter Gwilliam offering me the chance to drive his ¼ Midget. I was blown away by the opportunity, and that’s where it all started.”
His rookie F2 Midget campaign ended with a title at just 15 years old, and it was during this time that he forged a close bond with Robert “Cheese” van Gisbergen.
“Cheese was heavily involved in setups, giving advice, and pushing me onto the right pathways,” Matt explains.
“Cheese even convinced Dad to put tyres in the spa pool to stretch them for that extra 1%.”
That advice proved crucial. Acting on Robert’s guidance, Matt chased the SpeedSport Scholarship in 2019 – and won it, earning a season in Formula First under Dennis Martin and the Sabre Motorsport team.
“Coming from dirt and then winning the SpeedSport Scholarship was surreal,” he says.
“That season was a steep learning curve as I picked up the basics of tarmac racing. My time with Dennis and the Sabre Motorsport team was incredible-I learned so much and even managed to grab a race win in my first year.”
That rookie campaign included six podium finishes and a victory in the Manfeild Winter Series, before Matt lined up for a full tilt at the New Zealand Formula First Championship. He continued to improve, finishing eighth overall in the standings, with a podium and a fastest lap along the way.
From there, Robert and Shane van Gisbergen put Matt in their own Formula Ford team. The partnership delivered immediate success. On debut in the North Island Formula Ford Championship, he scored two podiums before holding off Matthew Payne and Tom Alexander for a breakthrough win.
He went on to dominate the season, winning 14 of 18 races to secure the title, while also pushing James Penrose all the way in the National Championship.
“Shane became a real mentor as I moved to tarmac-he pushed me to new limits both in how I drove and how I thought about making cars faster,” says Matt.
“Some of my fondest memories are of us at Hampton Downs with our 1990 Corollas, pushing them to the edge and keeping little setup secrets from each other.”
Matt was also one of the first drivers to go through the Hampton Downs NZ Racing Academy, run by the Tony Quinn Foundation.
He was chosen as one of three finalists for the inaugural Toyota 86 Shootout, where he impressed the judging panel of Tony Quinn, Josie Spillane, Steve Horne, Greg Murphy and Daniel Gaunt to take out the $30,000 prize.
“The Tony Quinn Foundation was massive for my career, both on and off the track,” he says.
“On the racing side, the support was huge, but the real difference came from what I learned off the track-things like sponsorship, looking after key supporters, and presenting myself professionally. Without the TQF, I wouldn’t have achieved half of my goals.”
With his sights set on Supercars, the move into Toyota 86s was the perfect next step. Backed by the Foundation, Matt impressed from the outset, scoring a podium at Highlands in his first weekend in the series.
By Round 4, he had climbed to the top step of the podium, taking his maiden win at Pukekohe. He continued to build momentum throughout the season, eventually finishing sixth overall in what was one of the most competitive fields in recent years.
His performances didn’t go unnoticed. Matt’s first taste of Supercar machinery came at Hampton Downs, where he tested the Richards Team Motorsport Toyota Camry V8.
“The power, the handling-it really locked in the dream of racing tin-tops,” he says.
Soon after, he was invited to take part in the Erebus Academy’s Who’s Next program, heading to Winton for a run in Brodie Kostecki’s Holden ZB Commodore. It was a valuable opportunity that gave him a benchmark against some of the best in the business.
Later that year, Matt joined Eggleston Motorsport at the Super2 season finale in Adelaide. He wasn’t racing that weekend but threw himself into helping the team – everything from tyre pressures to cleaning the cars – and quickly impressed with his attitude and work ethic.
A couple of weeks later, he was back at Winton, this time behind the wheel of one of Eggleston’s VF Commodores. Improving with every run, he showed enough pace and maturity to be offered a seat in their Super3 program for 2023, running the #97 in honour of the van Gisbergen family’s support.
His debut came at Newcastle, where he immediately made an impact by qualifying fourth and finishing second in his very first race, missing victory by less than half a second.
In Race 2, a mechanical drama in qualifying dropped him to the back of the grid, but he stormed through to finish fifth, underlining his pace and racecraft.
Round 2 in Perth brought more of the same. He qualified inside the Top 5 for both races and narrowly missed out on pole position by less than a tenth. He then backed that up in the races with two solid Top 5 finishes, showing both speed and consistency.
But just as quickly as the campaign started, it ended. After two rounds, Matt stepped away from Super3, unsure what the future held.
It was Tony Quinn who helped him rediscover the passion.
“After stepping away from Super3, Tony was once again there to help me find my feet at Queensland Raceway,” Matt says.
“At the time, I was managing the on-site go-karts, and a lot of my days were spent fixing them up, with Tony often lending a hand. One day, he offered me the chance to drive his car alongside Ryder in the Production Series. That weekend reignited everything-the fun, the passion, the buzz of being back behind the wheel. It felt amazing.”
Since then, Matt has shared GT4 Australia drives with Tony himself, including a class win at Queensland Raceway last year in a Porsche Cayman GT4 and a strong debut this year in the Toyota GR Supra at Sandown.
Away from the cockpit, Matt is now part of the team working to build Queensland Raceway into a true motorsport hub.
“Alongside racing, I work with the team at QR to help deliver events and keep building the venue into something special,” he explains.
“From grassroots programs like Safe Teen Driver to major events like Roll Racing, Friday Night Drifts, and even Supercars, it’s awesome being part of something that gives so many people a chance to enjoy motorsport, whether they’re competing or spectating.”
For Matt, the focus now is simple: keep enjoying the opportunities he has, and see how far he can climb again.
“I’d love to build on this momentum and see how far I can push myself back in the sport. Long-term, the goal is always to keep climbing the ladder, but I’m also very aware of the importance of enjoying the journey along the way. One huge thing I would like to tick off is Bathurst.”
Matt’s journey shows that stepping away doesn’t have to be the end-it can be the beginning of something even stronger.
Header Image: Supplied
