A well-known member of the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 medical team reached a big milestone of service at the most recent round of the Supercars Championship.
Queenslander Bruce Muhling was congratulated by his peers at the Surfers Paradise Street Circuit, celebrating 30 Gold Coast events dating back to the 90s as the Chase Car Operator for various categories including Supercars, NASCAR and IndyCar – all of which have graced the Gold Coast over the years.
Having grown up with and competed on motorbikes in endurance-style forestry events, Muhling made the jump to officiating when his riding days came to a close in 1980. He began as a flag marshal at Lakeside after joining the Queensland Motor Racing Officials Association.
Shortly after, Muhling noticed a vacancy in the chase car, so he promptly volunteered himself for the position and has stayed connected to motorsport in that capacity since.
“My first event I took on in the chase car was at Queensland Raceway back in 1985 and after the Surfers Paradise Street Circuit was created in the early-90s, I began conducting my role at that event each year,” Muhling said.
“In 1995, it was my first time officiating the IndyCars back when they used to race there at the street circuit. That in particular was a great memory.
“The years roll on, I never really kept count of how many events I did in the lead-up to 2025, but it was a nice moment of reflection when the team had told me I had reached my 30th event.”
Muhling, who holds certifications as a General Official, in Event Command (Bronze) and Circuit (Gold), plays a pivotal role each year at the Gold Coast 500.
As the Chase Car Operator, Muhling is responsible for being one of the first officials to respond to on-track incidents and is one of the first to act in the scenario of a medical episode.
Muhling understands the importance of his role and takes an abundance of pride in executing his job to an elite level of professionalism and capability, which he credits to the supportive team around him.
“The medical team itself is filled with like-minded people, they all enjoy their motorsport on top of what they do,” Muhling added.
“For me, I’ve always liked my V8s, so to be involved on a national level with the V8s with a professional team like mine is very good.
“There’s been a few iterations of the medical teams over the years, such as the Army assisting for the IndyCars way back when.
“Then there was Queensland Ambulance Service, Emergency Medical Technician Queensland came along, and in more recent years it has been Team Medical Australia, who I’m very grateful for as they were happy to pick me up to continue helping at the Gold Coast 500 each year when they took over”
To become an official like Bruce Muhling, check out Motorsport Australia’s pathways to becoming an official.
