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The Motorsport Brief: Matt Campbell the Aussie who conquered Daytona 24 hour with Penske & Porsche · Rusty's Garage

• 0:02
  A listener production.
• 0:04
  Welcome to the Motorsport Brief.
• 0:06
  It's Friday the 2nd of February 2024.
• 0:08
  There is a bit going on in supercars right now, but we also want to acknowledge an Aussie who joined the winner's list at the legendary Daytona 24-hour last weekend.
• 0:21
  G'day everybody, welcome to the Rusty's Garage shortcast.
• 0:24
  Matt Campbell is standing by in the US.
• 0:27
  I'll have some thoughts on the Brodie Kostecki Ereba situation at the end of this episode too.
• 0:32
  Don't forget that we have something a little different in the long form or feature episode offering with Greg Siddle released recently we have done.
• 0:40
  Engineers, team bosses, as well as riders and drivers over the years, this one has some great yarns from a driver manager who is incredibly well respected, from guiding Mark Larkham to encouraging Sam Michael to pursue Formula One, plus working with Nelson Piquet and stitching deals together for the likes of Roberto Moreno and bringing one Nicky Lauda to Australia in the 1980s.
• 1:06
  Speedway and Dakar kept us engaged over the holiday period, but the circuit racing season has shifted back into gear, thankfully, with some endurance events.
• 1:16
  Bathurst's 12-hour is not too far away, and our guest today will be back home for that.
• 1:21
  He is proof of...
• 1:22
  but with talent and commitment, he can make it.
• 1:25
  Now part of the Penske Porsche program with a big season ahead, he was part of the team that drove the number 7, 963, to outright victory by just over two seconds at the end of 24 hours at Daytona last weekend.
• 1:40
  Huge moment in his career and he's on the line to talk about it.
• 1:45
  Matt, that is mega.
• 1:46
  Congratulations and welcome to the show.
• 1:50
  Yeah, thank you very much, mate.
• 1:51
  Good to be here and catch up.
• 1:53
  It is great to catch up with you.
• 1:54
  A bit has changed in your world in the last couple of days.
• 1:58
  Has it all kind of sunk in?
• 2:00
  Yeah, I think it all sort of sunk in yesterday, finally, especially myself and Dane, one of my teammates.
• 2:07
  You know, we're both in Charlotte at the moment after the race and we actually resized our watches.
• 2:11
  So I think in that moment, everything sort of hits and it was a really nice moment for the both of us.
• 2:17
  Just tell people a little more about that.
• 2:20
  For those that don't know about Daytona, I mean, you have a rare Rolex that the winners get.
• 2:27
  As you say, it's been resized now, which is terrific.
• 2:29
  Have you gone at Paul's, mate, to look at that and thought back on just how far you've come?
• 2:37
  Yeah, it's quite astonishing.
• 2:39
  I mean, obviously, the...
• 2:40
  let's say the prize and the trophy at the end of the Daytona 24 event is something very iconic and very special, and it's very sought after piece.
• 2:49
  So now to have two of them, I feel very honoured and grateful to be in such a position, especially with my first overall victory at Daytona.
• 2:56
  So a very special moment and a very historic one as well, not only for Porsche but also for Penske.
• 3:02
  So it's been a long time coming for both brands, coming back to overall victory lane.
• 3:08
  some nail-biting moments for the fans along the way too.
• 3:11
  That kind of late bid by Tom Blomquist to try and wrestle it away from you guys, how stressful was all that?
• 3:19
  Yeah, I mean, pretty nerve-wracking.
• 3:21
  You know, I must say, like...
• 3:23
  You know, my past 24-hour win back in 2022, obviously, that was a very exciting finish as well, you know, in GT class.
• 3:30
  And I was also sitting on the sidelines too and watching.
• 3:32
  So this time I made sure I tried to replicate everything I did last time.
• 3:36
  As soon as I got out of the car, I didn't really move.
• 3:39
  I just sat down and tried to take it all in and watch the last two hours.
• 3:42
  So pretty stressful.
• 3:44
  Definitely didn't move.
• 3:46
  There were some tense moments, let's say, because strategy was coming into play.
• 3:49
  Both cars were fighting pretty hard and, you know, it was a really exciting finish and it was a really cool race overall with the Cadillac.
• 3:56
  How much sleep did you get?
• 3:57
  And I ask that because, I mean, it's a 24-hour race.
• 4:00
  Obviously, you try and stay as sharp as possible.
• 4:03
  But, I mean, effectively, for a lot of people that take in, whether it's Le Mans or Daytona, you're kind of on the go for 30 hours or so straight.
• 4:12
  So could you get a bit of rest, did you?
• 4:16
  Yeah, I got a little bit.
• 4:17
  I think I got around 45 minutes in the end.
• 4:20
  I was trying to get a little bit more, actually, but then in the early hours of the morning, our run plan sort of changed for our driver line-up for the remaining part of the race, sort of the last eight hours.
• 4:29
  So that was sort of cut short a little bit, and then we went into action for the rest of the race, basically, with me and Felipe finishing it off.
• 4:37
  So yeah.
• 4:38
  Yeah, I had planned to get a little bit more, but it didn't really work out that way and had to get woken up.
• 4:41
  Invariably, it's a race that really tests the equipment.
• 4:46
  How kind of confident in the pre-event build-up were you that everything was right as far as the Porsche package was concerned?
• 4:53
  Yeah, I think, you know, with these cars, they're so advanced now.
• 4:57
  And for sure, last year was a difficult race for us, you know, to...
• 5:02
  that your ability to the car was a big talking point and our main focus.
• 5:06
  And ever since then, we've made a lot of development, a lot of changes to the car.
• 5:09
  And let's say it wasn't as much in the back of our minds, basically, because we had a lot more confidence in the car and what it was capable of.
• 5:17
  We're in a much better position going into the race this year, whether it be on spare parts or anything like that, whereas last year it was such a rush for everyone really on a GTP period, not only Porsche.
• 5:27
  So this year we felt really prepared and we had all the tools at hand to be able to try and have the best result possible.
• 5:33
  Anything that you had to manage along the way?
• 5:35
  I mean, 24 hours, any little noises that kind of creep in make you nervous, don't they?
• 5:41
  Oh, 100%.
• 5:41
  And there was definitely some things that popped up.
• 5:43
  You know, we started to have a few issues with our power controller, which sort of started on car six.
• 5:50
  And, you know, once they started to face the issues, we jumped right on it and tried to solve it ourselves as well to make sure we didn't get any drive-proof penalties or anything like that, you know, going above the controller.
• 6:00
  So, yeah.
• 6:01
  It was quite tense the whole race, you know, the management behind the scenes to be able to keep the energy management under control was hugely challenging.
• 6:09
  And with this, it made the car a little bit more difficult to drive as well.
• 6:12
  So, yeah, it wasn't an easy race and this sort of lasted for more or less 20 hours.
• 6:17
  So there was a lot going on behind the scenes.
• 6:19
  Your teammate, Dane Cameron, who you mentioned before, was kind of overcome with emotion in that interview afterwards.
• 6:26
  I mean, it is a reminder of how much it means and how significant this race is.
• 6:32
  Yeah, very much so.
• 6:32
  I mean...
• 6:35
  In North America here, I mean, in terms of endurance racing, this is the Super Bowl for us in North America.
• 6:40
  Obviously, in Europe, we've got Le Mans, maybe Nürburgring 24-hour and Monaco and so forth.
• 6:45
  So, you know, for endurance racing in the US, it was very special for him.
• 6:49
  You know, he'd been racing here.
• 6:51
  in Daytona for about 15 to 16 years and never really had any luck at all.
• 6:56
  So for it to all finally come together, and I think in such a special way as well in this race, it was very cool and I was extremely happy for him because he's a very good friend and a nicest bloke you'll meet in pit lane.
• 7:07
  You mentioned Filippo Nasser before there as well.
• 7:09
  You also got to drive with the reigning Indy 500 champion in Joseph Newgarden.
• 7:13
  His crew chief has been on the pod in the last year or so.
• 7:17
  What is it like working with Joseph?
• 7:19
  And did you get to spend a bit of time with his crazy bus bro team mate, Scott McLaughlin as well?
• 7:25
  Yeah.
• 7:25
  I mean, you know, he's a big character, his big personality and, you know, obviously coming from the Penske side.
• 7:31
  So it's really nice when you have such people sort of join the program because, you know,
• 7:36
  I think all of us have slightly different backgrounds.
• 7:38
  You know, Dane started off in open wheelers coming across the GT and men into prototypes, sort of a similar path to what I've done.
• 7:45
  Felipe obviously going through single seaters and through Formula 1 into sports cars.
• 7:49
  And Joseph really having no prior sports car experience until last year.
• 7:53
  So it's really, really cool when you get such people involved in a program where the car is so advanced.
• 8:00
  And, you know, he can bring different ideas that maybe we haven't thought of.
• 8:03
  So the way it all come together with such people joining, it's really, really cool.
• 8:08
  And he brought a lot to the table as well.
• 8:10
  As you said, been a while between drinks for Penske and Porsche at Daytona.
• 8:17
  Really cool photo that you've shared in the last 24 hours or so on your Instagram.
• 8:21
  You're right behind the trophy with all the team, the other drivers, and you are right beside Roger Penske.
• 8:27
  Can you share a little bit of his reaction and perhaps what he might have said to you?
• 8:32
  Yeah, I mean, he was absolutely over the moon.
• 8:36
  You know, we even spoke to Joseph after the race, and he said after the 500 victory last year, Roger didn't really show too much emotion.
• 8:42
  Obviously, he was excited, but, you know, he didn't really shed a tear or anything like that.
• 8:46
  Whereas this year, when we were under race, there was definitely some tears from Roger, which was fantastic to see because there was so much...
• 8:53
  worked on into this particular race and, you know, there's been so much work with the two iconic brands coming back together in Porsche and Penske and for it to all pay off with such a big victory at the start of the year, it's, it's phenomenal.
• 9:04
  So yeah, he said a few words to me on a podium and even sent me a message yesterday as well.
• 9:09
  So it's very, very cool to be part of such an organization.
• 9:12
  Yeah.
• 9:17
  Your own stints were very good.
• 9:19
  More than a few people who were there have told me about that, Matt.
• 9:22
  As you've got to reflect on it, how happy are you with what you contributed on race day and, in fact, right across the whole weekend at Daytona?
• 9:30
  Yeah, I mean, from my personal point of view, I was very happy with what I was able to contribute to the race.
• 9:36
  You know, I felt like my performance...
• 9:39
  in some parts of the race were really, really good.
• 9:41
  And me and Felipe were so close in lap times the whole entire race.
• 9:45
  So I think this made a really big difference at certain parts with our strategy and so forth.
• 9:50
  And I'm happy, we were leading the race multiple times with me and the car.
• 9:55
  It was such a cool feeling because last year we were never really in a position where we could fight in such a way at this event.
• 10:01
  And now for it to turn around within a 12-month period and be linked to race multiple times and really taking it to the 31 Cadillac was really phenomenal.
• 10:10
  The way the race ebbed and flowed and then obviously turned out the end.
• 10:13
  It made it that much more special, I think, for everyone at Porsche.
• 10:15
  Yeah.
• 10:16
  When you go into something like that in one of the best teams in world motorsport with, as you said, an iconic brand in Porsche, do you go flat out for 24 hours?
• 10:27
  Or is that old adage about, you know, buy a ticket to the end of the game, the end of the race, something that still holds true?
• 10:35
  Yeah, let's say we're definitely pushing a lot more than let's say 10, 15 years ago.
• 10:43
  The cars and the durability is much better.
• 10:45
  But in saying that, I feel like racing in the US is slightly different to let's say Le Mans.
• 10:49
  You know, Le Mans or a Nürburgring 24-hour, you are pushing flat out from Lack 1.
• 10:54
  There's no doubt about that.
• 10:55
  Whereas, you know, racing in North America and the style of racing in IMSA, you have a lot of yellows and so forth.
• 11:02
  So...
• 11:03
  you know, it's definitely making sure you have the ticket at the end, you know, getting in a good position for the last six hours and making sure you're good on strategy and everything like that.
• 11:12
  But, uh, I feel like in our cars, um, you know, there's a lot of energy management going on behind the scenes.
• 11:17
  So certainly you're pushing over the whole race, but you know, you're taking a little bit of care and making sure you don't touch or hit anyone because you want that, you know, really nice fast car at the end.
• 11:27
  So, uh,
• 11:28
  That's certainly how we did it.
• 11:30
  You know, we made sure, you know, through all of practice and the raw event that we worked on the car for the end of the race.
• 11:37
  So it wasn't the nicest at some parts, but we made it fast at the end, which mattered.
• 11:41
  What is that beautiful looking car like to drive?
• 11:44
  Can you take us there, share a bit of it, describe it for us?
• 11:48
  Yeah, I mean, I think I have a different point of view compared to most people who have joined GTP or Hypercar, whether it be an IMSA or a WEC, and I feel like a lot of my Porsche teammates are very similar in the sense that we've come from GT, so we don't really come from a prototype background prior, and jumping into it, it's very, very different.
• 12:09
  For what they are, the cars are quite heavy, a lot of power, and very advanced.
• 12:15
  The steering wheel in these cars...
• 12:17
  uh, are just as busy, if not more busy than, than for me one cars at the moment with how much is going on behind the scenes, um, for the energy management and everything like that.
• 12:25
  So, um, the amount of buttons and, and toggles and things we've got to play with inside the car.
• 12:31
  And we are playing with a lot, uh, throughout the stint and, and some of these things are told to us from our engineers.
• 12:36
  And then the driver also has a lot of control as well.
• 12:39
  So, um,
• 12:41
  it makes you think a lot you've got to be really on it and uh there's a lot of uh thought process going on behind the scenes that's for sure your background in racing Porsches in in Michelin Sprint Challenge in Carrera Cup and so on um in Australia that diet if you like that you were raised on this is a very different beast how's that transition been and clearly you've loved every second of it
• 13:04
  Yeah, that's for sure.
• 13:05
  I mean, a lot's happened since I left Australia and first joined the Porsche Pyramid in Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia.
• 13:13
  And it's been a phenomenal ride.
• 13:16
  But to get to this point, I'm really happy with where I am in my career.
• 13:19
  And this was always the ultimate goal when I left Australia to join Porsche.
• 13:24
  I wanted to reach the top of the Porsche Pyramid.
• 13:27
  with Porsche and sports cars and, you know, racing these big events like Daytona 24 and racing for outright victories.
• 13:33
  And it was a bit of a shame when I joined because Porsche was in Olympia 1 and they sort of stopped that project the year I joined.
• 13:40
  And now for them to come back and be a part of it, it's quite surreal and something I've always dreamed of.
• 13:46
  So it's phenomenal and really enjoying it and driving the cars as well.
• 13:50
  You know, they're really tricky to drive but very rewarding at the same time.
• 13:55
  I went to Daytona in 2014 and I spent time there with a colleague and a good mate in Lee Diffie from NBC.
• 14:01
  I mean, the event is different to Le Mans, but there is something really captivating about it.
• 14:06
  The history, legendary track, but still that North American flavour, quality feel this year as well.
• 14:13
  I mean, even before the success you've enjoyed there, how much did Daytona appeal to you?
• 14:20
  yeah, I mean, for sure, it's always appealed to me.
• 14:23
  You know, it's a special race.
• 14:24
  It's the only 24-hour we do in North America.
• 14:27
  And I've been coming to Daytona now since 2019 and, you know, had some success, some podiums and everything like that.
• 14:34
  But, you know, the overall victory is something very special.
• 14:36
  But Daytona, you know, it's definitely got its own flavor.
• 14:40
  You know, it's a unique place.
• 14:41
  And it was very cool to be a part of this year too.
• 14:42
  You know, so many fans around.
• 14:44
  I think it was the biggest ever Daytona event in the history.
• 14:47
  And, you know,
• 14:49
  It's just cool.
• 14:49
  We don't really do anything else like it with the banking, the infield section, and all the fans.
• 14:56
  It's just a different event.
• 14:57
  It's something like a Le Mans or a Bathurst 12-hour or a Nürburgring 24.
• 15:02
  They're all so different and so iconic in their own ways and have their own feelings, and it's definitely no different.
• 15:07
  Okay, so not bad for someone who not all that long ago was kind of camping at the McElroy residence, a humble Queenslander.
• 15:16
  That hasn't changed in you, I know.
• 15:19
  Who else have you heard from in the wake of this?
• 15:21
  And I gather there was a special call to mum pretty soon after you won.
• 15:24
  Is that right?
• 15:25
  Yeah, exactly.
• 15:28
  Once I got back to the hotel room after the race, obviously called mum back and she was extremely happy for me and everything like that.
• 15:34
  And then I actually stayed off my phone until the middle of the next day, just to soak it all in and hang with my teammates and everything like that.
• 15:41
  And then it took a fair while to get through all the messages because there was quite a few.
• 15:44
  But obviously many of that meant a lot to me.
• 15:47
  There was a lot of people behind the scenes who
• 15:51
  who gave me a lot to be able to get me to this point in my career and gave me the opportunity and, you know, through my company and program.
• 15:58
  So, you know, definitely they were on the list as the first messages I got and they were extremely happy for myself.
• 16:04
  So very grateful for many people.
• 16:06
  You know, this is just another big milestone.
• 16:09
  And, you know, it's extremely cool to have such people involved sort of with my story, I suppose you could say.
• 16:15
  Three to get us to the finish line here, Matt.
• 16:17
  Firstly, myself, Richard Crail and some people from Porsche Motorsport in Australia in the next couple of weeks are going to be working with some youngsters at a camp in Australia, a training camp, if you will.
• 16:29
  What kind of things would you say to that next wave of emerging young races about what you're doing and what you've done?
• 16:39
  Yeah, that's a good question.
• 16:40
  I mean, it's a hard one to answer, to be fair, because, you know, I feel like everyone has their own ways of going about things, but certainly for myself, you know, a good example is when I first went across to the Porsche Motorsport shootout in Germany, and, you know, I just enjoyed it so much.
• 16:55
  I had fun, you know, I didn't really think about the end result, and I think this is a really key takeaway is, you know, enjoying your motorsport.
• 17:02
  You know, it's a big part of it, and certainly there's stressful points, and
• 17:06
  There's some hard times, but I think, you know, for me, when I get in the car, I just really thoroughly enjoy it.
• 17:11
  You know, there's moments outside the car which, you know, it's work at the end of the day, so it's not as nice, but enjoying my time behind the wheel at this moment of my career, which is I think one of the most important parts is that you're enjoying your craft.
• 17:23
  So have fun.
• 17:26
  Great takeaway.
• 17:27
  What's the season ahead look like from here for you, the schedule?
• 17:30
  And I would imagine within the bounds of that, you'll keep an eye on Jackson Evans in supercars too.
• 17:34
  Will you get back home?
• 17:35
  And are there any kind of supercars opportunities that might present for you?
• 17:40
  Yeah, I mean, unfortunately, no supercar opportunities this year.
• 17:43
  With my calendar, there's a few conflicts.
• 17:45
  I would love to be able to get back and compete.
• 17:47
  It's an event I love coming back to and being a part of.
• 17:50
  And one I really want to tick off one day is, you know, the 1,000.
• 17:54
  But I'll be following Jackson, still a very close friend.
• 17:57
  But my year ahead, I mean, it's crazy busy at the moment.
• 18:00
  You know, the first four months of the year, it's just basically from event to event, test to test.
• 18:04
  So, yeah.
• 18:06
  Tonight, I'll actually be flying out to Barcelona.
• 18:09
  We have a test there on the weekend.
• 18:11
  And then straight after that, we'll be flying down to Australia for the Baffert 12-hour.
• 18:16
  And then straight after that, to Qatar.
• 18:17
  Obviously, joining the World Endurance Championship this year.
• 18:21
  Coming across from IMSA full-time.
• 18:23
  So, that's a bit of a change.
• 18:24
  And then it's straight from there to the next event.
• 18:26
  So, it's crazy times at the moment.
• 18:28
  Extremely busy.
• 18:29
  But, you know, thoroughly enjoying it.
• 18:31
  And, you know, I like to be busy.
• 18:33
  So, it's, you know, making it a little bit easier.
• 18:35
  Finally, is the Le Mans 24-hour now kind of the big focus?
• 18:40
  I mean, you've been there, I know, but a Daytona win on the CV surely must have kind of hardened the resolve or the will to tick that box.
• 18:51
  Most definitely.
• 18:51
  I mean, you know, last year, you know, Porsche ran three cars and unfortunately I wasn't there.
• 18:58
  I was actually the reserve driver.
• 19:00
  and this year now racing full-time in the WEC, obviously getting to do Le Mans.
• 19:05
  So, yeah, really excited to be able to go there.
• 19:07
  I've won in class, just like Daytona, so hopefully it's a good thing going into Le Mans this year.
• 19:15
  First time racing for the overall victory.
• 19:18
  But, yeah, just really excited to be able to compete at Le Mans.
• 19:20
  It's going to be one of the biggest years ever.
• 19:22
  I think I sold out in the space of two days, so I think it's going to be something special this year to be a part of and,
• 19:28
  and extremely excited to be a part of the FIA World Endurance Championship once again as a full season.
• 19:33
  And Porsche is putting a lot of emphasis and pressure for Le Mans to be able to get it for this victory.
• 19:39
  Congratulations.
• 19:40
  Thank you for coming on the pod and talking to us.
• 19:42
  I reckon that is super cool.
• 19:44
  Daytona 24-hour outright winner with the watch to prove it.
• 19:49
  We wish you well for the rest of the season and especially for Le Mans.
• 19:52
  Yep.
• 19:52
  Thank you very much, Rusty, and I really appreciate it.
• 19:56
  Over many years in this role, you get the chance to see different drivers or riders work hard to try and break into the elite levels of the sport.
• 20:06
  Some don't make it, sadly.
• 20:08
  Others, who may not have the financial wherewithal in their pockets, that do make it, like Matt.
• 20:14
  are genuinely inspiring.
• 20:15
  It is great to see them fly, to see their growth.
• 20:18
  He walks with this confidence of a pro athlete now.
• 20:22
  He kind of oozes that, but not in an arrogant way, if that makes sense.
• 20:26
  He's true to that young racer I first met at McElroy Racing many years ago.
• 20:32
  Now the news about Brodie Kostecki, the 2023 Supercars champion, and tension, a possible split with Erebus, is what many of you have been talking about in recent days.
• 20:43
  That is still fresh and fluid.
• 20:45
  I'd rather hear it from them and with balance, if they want to come on, and how it got to this point.
• 20:52
  Erebus saying via a statement that Brodie is with them for 2024, but he'll sit out the opening round at Bathurst in a few weeks' time, the Bathurst 500.
• 21:01
  Todd Hazelwood will sub for him there.
• 21:05
  Shane Van Gisbergens chimed in with some support for his friend and colleague via socials from the United States.
• 21:11
  Bit of cryptic stuff from Peter Aderton, followed by a cooling of rumours there too.
• 21:17
  Whatever happens, I genuinely hope that Brodie is in a race car this year, hopefully in a NASCAR too, with the odd appearance that he planned, and in a supercar to defend that title.
• 21:29
  He is too talented to be on the sidelines.
• 21:32
  It would be a shame if this can't be ironed out, for all parties really, for Erebus too.
• 21:38
  Are existing deals with drivers at other teams about to be tested?
• 21:44
  And finally, after years of work, millions of dollars tendering to join the Formula One grid as the 11th team, Andretti has learned it's a no-go for now.
• 21:56
  That might be possible in four years' time.
• 21:59
  Will there be another avenue to ultimately get Michael and his US operation into the sport that has captivated North American audiences in recent years?
• 22:09
  interesting that f1 suggested andretti would benefit more than the other way around from their involvement i'm no comms guru but i'm not sure i would have worded it that way the new season of drive to survive launches later this month in the meantime you might enjoy nazcar full speed on netflix too similar approach but a different code and some input from great people who know like dale earnhardt jr i'm really enjoying that that is it for this edition bye for now