Marque Sports Car Association of Victoria (MSCA) hosts ‘Come and Try Days’ yearly, to promote participation and attract newcomers to motorsport, this was where father-son duo Karl and Daniel Leitner first joined the club.

The two attended the event days before Daniel’s 14th birthday, therefore Daniel was not eligible to compete on the day.

The following year, Daniel came back to jump on track with his Holden SS V8 Ute and hasn’t stopped participating since.

“As soon as he turned 14, he got his Motorsport Australia Speed licence and entered his first event, and he’s been competing consistently with MSCA ever since,” said father, Karl Leitner.

Over the years, the now 21-year-old, Daniel has collected multiple victories, placing first in his class during the 2022–2024 seasons, and in the MSCA Overall competition, he tied for equal third in 2022, and secured another third-place finish in 2023.

The Victorian is hoping for another positive result this year and currently sits in leads the Overall class with 39 points, 13 points separating him from the nearest competitor.

Karl attributes the father-son duo’s passion to MSCA and their support of grassroots motorsport as fuel to get out and enjoy racing.

“Grassroots motorsport is so important as it’s relatively affordable and participants get the chance to drive on the same circuits that the professionals do, getting a taste of what it is like to be a professional driver,” said Leitner.

In 2023, they participated in the Rob Roy Hillclimb, with Karl looking to include the younger generation of competitors in the event without the financial burden for junior drivers.

“Rob Roy has always been a great event with a long history, and when Daniel started, he was the only junior competing,” said Karl Leitner

“David Bell has been a great mentor to Daniel, and many other young drivers mentioned one day that it’s hard for many people to experience the thrill of track days and hill climb, as they just don’t have the means to buy and maintain a car.

“We got talking and decided to do something about it. So we sourced a fantastic Lancer that was previously used for track days, and made it available for those who were interested.”

The only conditions for racing the Lancer would be to contribute to the team with maintenance and set up during the weekend – drivers were expected to help out with the car to the best of their abilities.

Bell and Leitner were shocked at the overwhelming response, citing a list of young drivers ready to help in exchange for a drive and created a community able to experience the event that may not have been able to without the generosity of the two.

The culture of club-level events and getting on track to experience racing, not to further his professional career, is what Daniel enjoys most about MSCA and everything included in the community of motorsport.

MSCA also seeks volunteers year-round for various roles at their events, including administration, scrutineering, starting grid, and flag marshalling. Volunteering has been marked as one of the leading ways to get a start in motorsport.

To join MSCA or learn about their events, click the link to their website.