We Raced the Night - 2026 Viola Private Wealth Sydney 300 Recap
Sydney Motorsport Park | RaceAway Track Time | Car #35 | Mazda MX5
For RaceAway Track Time, the Viola Private Wealth Sydney 300 is more than just a race. It's the ideal precursor to Bathurst 6 Hour-style endurance racing — a battleground where we teach rookie drivers how to manage traffic, pace themselves, and bring a car home safely while having an absolute blast along the way.
This year, we were back in our Mazda MX5, car #35, with Geoff Linders and Andrew Chalouhi sharing the wheel, guided by coaches Phil Alexander and Rod Tippett.
Before the Race
We headed into race day with solid preparation under our belts. In practice, Geoff punched in a best of 1:53.482 — already well within the D Class bracket (1:50 to 1:54 seconds). Qualifying followed with a time of 1:54.795, placing us 21st overall and 4th in class — a clean, confident run that set us up perfectly for the 300km ahead.
Four timed classes across a 56-car field means you're never short of something to race against — whether it's the car in your class or the big-engined machines making life interesting in traffic.
The Race
Geoff's Stint — Into the Fire
As coach Phil put it, the rolling start of the Sydney 300 is "not for the faint-hearted."
"A lot of people just started flat out this year, and with a massive field it was very intimidating" — especially when you're in a Mazda MX5 surrounded by significantly larger production cars.
Geoff, stepping into his first experience of an intensity like this, handled it in exactly the right way. Rather than trying to be a hero in the opening laps, he kept the car clean, drove with an endurance mindset, avoided compromising positions, and focused on consistency. Lap by lap, he found his rhythm and started working his way through the class, soaking in the surrounding battles and building his confidence as the stint went on.
His lap times reflected the growth — from early settling-in laps in the 2:00s and 2:01s, Geoff was regularly running 1:56s and 1:57s mid-stint, with a best of 1:55.716 as he hit his stride.
Then, about three quarters through his stint, the transponder stopped working.
With live timing gone, we had no choice but to call Geoff in early — sacrificing valuable laps and forcing the team to completely rethink our race strategy on the fly. It was a gut punch, but the crew responded and sent Andrew out with a new plan.
Andrew's Stint — The Experience Shows
Andrew Chalouhi didn't need long to get up to speed.
With previous experience in close-quarter racing in the MX5, the familiarity showed immediately. Andrew settled in quickly and started threading the needle through traffic, running consistent 1:51s, 1:52s, and 1:53s — right at the sharp end of what the car can do in D Class.
His best lap of the race: a 1:51.479 — which was also the fastest lap recorded for car #35 on the day. It was a lap that showed exactly what's possible when experience meets confidence, and it had the team smiling in the pits.
Andrew kept pushing right to the chequered flag, racking up lap after lap in the low 1:52s and 1:53s, putting in one of the most composed and impressive stints we've seen from him.
The Result
38th overall out of 56 entries. 13th in C Class.
On paper, that's the number. But anyone who was there — or has ever raced an endurance event — knows the numbers only tell part of the story.
We lost laps to a timing failure we couldn't control. We adapted our strategy mid-race. We kept both drivers out of trouble in a notoriously busy, hard-fought field. And we crossed the finish line with 67 laps completed and a fastest lap that would make any C Class team proud.
Our official finishing position didn't come close to reflecting the quality of driving Geoff and Andrew put in — or the fun the whole team had out there.
The Team
None of this happens without the people behind the pit wall and in the garage. A massive thank you to Phil Alexander, Rod Tippett, Jake Hextall, Nigel No Shoes & Alyce Tippett.
And of course, a huge shout out to our sponsors and partners, On Pah Grading, Hextall Motorsport, Canobolas Motorsport Services, Chematek Australia, HomeGas, Shanes Signs, MWM Racing, One Raceway, Pheasant Wood Circuit.
Want to go racing but not sure where to start? We have events suited to drivers of all levels. From complete beginners through to experienced racers, grassroots to Bathurst 6 Hour. Get in touch to jump behind the wheel 🚀
📞0472 535 354
📩info@raceawaytracktime.com.au
🌐www.raceawaytracktime.com.au
