When the Australian Sprintcar Masters was first run and won many of the current crop of Sprintcar Drivers were either not born, or had no idea what Speedway was, let alone a Sprintcar! A pram was the quickest way that a lot of these guy's got around.

That was twenty five years ago, and that is the age of the 2010/2011 winner in Matt Egel.

We have all had our 'idols' that we have followed, turned up everytime they competed and held them in reverence. People like Phil March, Max Dumesny, Robbie Farr and you could add many, many more to that list and no doubt today's young crop of Sprintcar drivers all had their 'hero' too.

To sit on the grass, expect mum and dad to get you a drink, something to eat or play amongst the rest of the 'kids' is all apart of growing up around speedway, and on the odd occassion, one of the 'junior enthusiasts' decides that "One day I will race with these guys. Maybe I will even beat them".

Thas is what a very young Matt Egel did, and from the age of eight years, Matt commenced his racing career in go-karts. Throughout his go-kart racing years, Matt would accompany Mum & Dad (Kevin & Jenny Egel) and sister (Jodie) to speedways around the state and country to watch the "Easter Stampede", "Speed week" and any other event that claimed to have drivers like the afore mentioned, or even better when it had Americans like Donny Schatz on the programme.

Seven years ago, and whilst still competing in dirt kart competiton, Matt and has family made the move into speedway, and very quickly Egel sent the message out that he was a serious and quick contender. The second season into his V6 Sprint career, Egel was crowned SA Champion after running second to the late Tim Crouch the year before, plus he won and outstanding 15 feature races, and was named "Best and Fairest" and voted most popular driver by the public.

Not getting the opportunity to race interstate, due to the then V6 Sprints (now Lightning Sprints) being a SA only run class, Egel took up an offer from long time speedway man, Bert Fenton to have a drive of Berts Speedcar, where he finished 6th in the Mildura round of the Speedcar Super Series and was named "Rookie of the year". Egel added to his State Title wins again that year in his SA# 1 V6 Sprint.

Ultimately eyeing off Sprintcars as the section that Egel wanted to compete in, the family did a deal with Tony Bartlett, and for the 2006/07 season, Egel campaigned the 372ci, S75 race car and mixed it with many of his iconic drivers and stamped a name for himself as a hard charging "young gun". Again taking out the "Rookie of the Year" award, but this time for Sprintcars, Egel had sent the message out, as he won the very first race he competed in at Adelaide's Speedway City and then capped it with winning the Speedway City Gold Cup for 2006/07.

Moving on and moving into owning their own car and equipment, the Egel family have progressed and taken some risks, mainly in the financial area, but always determined to get Matt on the top step of any podium and he was always 'around the mark' scoring 11 podiums that year including the top step at the Speedway City, Easter Gold Cup and again at the Speedway City Track Championships in round 14.

Late last season the team as we knew it was sold, but only after Egel had finished 2nd in the Speedway City Track Championships (to Luke Dillon) and with the buying in of T & S Refrigeration & Electrical, at the SA season's end, Egel travelled to Darwin to compete in the Australian Titles, in May, in which he returned to Adelaide fourth and the highest placed South Australian.

Eyeing Matts results and having raced against him on numerous occassions Allan Woods made an approach to Team T & S through thier engine bulider PM Race Engines, and a deal was struck for them to run the new Quick Time Chassis & Spares. PM Race Engines is the South Australian distributor for Quick Time Chassis & Parts, so in establishing the 'brand' here in SA, it was a logical move to put Egel on board a Quick Time chassis and for Woods to get the feedback he was seeking.

In an article that I wrote recently, I stated "Egel and Quick Time. Is it Just A Name or a Prediction"?

On Saturday Novemeber 6th, this "prediction" turned out to be fact as not only did Egel become the youngest ever winner of the Australian Sprintcar Masters, but he also set the fastest ever one lap circulation around the 430 metre clay-way with a time of 11.744 secs, and at an average speed of 131.8 kph.! The "Egel Express" now owns the 1, 8 and 25 lap records at Speedway City.

It's pleasing to see that all around Australia we are seeing a new, young front appearing on the Sprintcar scene, and with James McFadden becoming the youngest ever Australian Title holder, and now Egel dominating the 'elder generation' of drivers and taking out the Speedway City Sprintcar Masters in convincing style, because we all know that racing at the top level in our sport is in good hands for the future.

Well done to "Mumbo" Matt Egel and the T & S Refrigeration & Electrical Team, along with the other great sponsors in Quick Time Chassis & Parts, PM Race Engines, Hoolagators / All American Diecast, Protec Paint and Advanced Laser Signs, as Matt now leads the Speedway City Track Championships as well.

A big well done too, to Wendy and Bob from Speedway City for fostering Sprintcar racing so well here in SA and it's their type of Track Championships that get and keep young and enthuiastic competitors and ensure that fan's from all around this country get to see not only the "elder Icon's" of our sport, but we also get to see the new, younger and hungrier "Icon's of tomorrow today" developing right under our eyes! It is of course no surprise that Speedway City has been granted the 2011/12, 50th Anniversary, Australian Sprintcar Titles to be held over the days of Thursday the 25th to Saturday the 28th of January, 2011.