Mackenzie Pollard has been named as the driver of a Historic Formula Vee machine running at this week’s Historic Sports and Racing Car Association of NSW (HSRCA) Sydney Classic at Sydney Motorsport Park from 6-7 June, as part of new initiative formulated by the event’s organising body.
The HSRCA launched its Young Women in Motorsport Program in 2025, following the purchase of the Formula Vee machine with the aim of getting more women into racing.
Fully prepared and ready to go racing, the car has been offered to talented driver Mackenzie Pollard after an extensive application and selection process.
Pollard gains access to the vehicle on a free-use basis at the HSRCA-run historic race meetings throughout 2026 at Sydney Motorsport Park and One Raceway.
Appreciative of the opportunity, the 20-year-old stated she was excited to represent the HSRCA program’s first year.
“I was so excited, I actually couldn’t believe it really,” Pollard said.
“I’ve always had a love for historics in other race categories, I’ve always been at the racetrack and seen them racing as well, but never had an opportunity to be in one so to move forward with this initiative with the HSRCA and Noel, Grahame, Don and Wayne who have really helped put this forward, it’s been a really amazing opportunity.
“I am so grateful, I have no expectations going into this program, it’s just a really wonderful learning experience and hoping to make the most of it with my weekends with them.”
Pollard is also continuing on from helping an all-female team consisting of Karlie Buccini, Courtney Prince and Tabitha Ambrose win their class as a race engineer at the 2026 Bathurst 6 Hour.
A kart racer by trade, Pollard is also a mechanical engineering student at the University of Newcastle and hails from the Hunter Valley. In 2024, Pollard joined the Walkinshaw Foundation Academy as a Junior Engineer, working on Matt Hillyer’s Toyota 86 car.
Pollard first fell in love with karting at 10 years old, and decided to seriously pursue racing in 2021. Pollard still races go-karts under the number 18 (lucky number).
The HSRCA will host three major Historic racing meetings in NSW in 2026, beginning with this week’s Sydney Classic.
The Association’s Historic Formula Vee class caters for pre-1986 Formula Vee open-wheeler racing cars.
In the past week, Pollard got her first laps in with the car, undergoing testing at One Raceway and finding her rhythm in her new seat.
“We began with some practice laps around the carpark before we then got on the track and did four or five laps,” Pollard added.
“It was great fun, I had a little bit of a spin at The Fish Hook but got myself back on track which was good as I thought I’d be stuck, but it was fun and very exciting.
“It was good overall, I’m still hoping to get more into rhythm, continue to find the track lines, but it was great and I hope to continue improving as each session goes.”
Some of the names of drivers who have competed in Formula Vee include previous Formula 1 world champions such as Emerson Fittipaldi, Niki Lauda and Keke Rosberg. Locally, the Formula Vee graduate list includes names like John Bowe, Larry Perkins and Cam Waters.
