The Motor Dream Podcast

The pipeline of New Zealand driving talent crossing the Tasman to dominate Australia’s premier touring car series is the stuff of motorsport legend. From Jim Richards capturing the first Kiwi championship in 1985 to the modern supremacy of Shane Van Gisbergen and current points leader Matt Payne, drivers from across the ditch have amassed a staggering 229 race wins in the Supercars era. For a nation of just over five million people, New Zealand consistently produces some of the most formidable competitors on the grid, making the Australian circuit an irresistible stepping stone for the next generation of racers hungry to add their names to that exclusive championship honour roll.

In this episode, we sit down with 21-year-old rising star Ayrton Hodson, who is eager to make his own mark in the Supercars paddock. Unlike many of his circuit-racing peers, Ayrton cut his teeth on the dirt track ovals of New Zealand, progressing from Ministocks to 410 Sprintcars—where he even squared off against SVG—before making a late but rapid transition to the tarmac. Now, he is tackling a massive 2026 double-duty schedule: embarking on his second Super2 season driving a Triple Eight-built Commodore for Matt Stone Racing, while simultaneously launching a rookie Aussie Racing Cars campaign with Corish Motorsports. Recorded earlier this season, we chat about Ayrton's rapid progression through the motorsport ranks, his speedway upbringing, and a Sprintcar-inspired dream garage that will definitely please fans who love to kick up some dirt.

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Ayrton Hodson Website: https://www.ayrtonhodson.com/

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The landscape of motorsport is shifting gears rapidly. While female fandom and participation have skyrocketed globally—fueled by initiatives like FIA Girls on Track and the rise of the F1 Academy—significant stigmas still linger, particularly within the pit lanes and mechanical bays of top-tier racing. Enter Imogen Radburn, a force of nature who is actively dismantling those barriers by doing things entirely her way.

After a bid for the 2026 F1 Academy series, the NSW South Coast native pivoted to sportscar racing, launching her own team in the newly established Mustang Cup Australia. Not only is she commanding the wheel, but Imogen has also founded the paddock’s only all-female crew, drawing 70 applications nationwide to create a thriving training ground for women in motorsport. Supported by Supercars driver Cameron Hill and manager Lavender Baj, Imogen joins us to discuss her transition from open-wheelers, her lifelong roots in heavy machinery, and what it truly takes to drive your own destiny.

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Imogen Radburn Website: https://www.imogenradburn.com.au/

The Motor Dream Podcast Website: https://www.themotordream.com.au

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Cancer is a disease that refuses to discriminate, and almost all of us have been profoundly affected by its impact on a loved one, a friend, or ourselves. While advancements in medical research provide incredible hope and earlier detection, funding these life-saving breakthroughs requires immense support. In this powerful episode of the Motor Dream Podcast, we explore how motorsport and cancer research powerfully intersect through Race For a Cure. Founded in 2016 by Sydney-based racing siblings Ben and Michael Kavich after Ben’s wife, Toula, was diagnosed with breast cancer, this incredible initiative has utilised the massive platform of the Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour to raise awareness and over $300,000 for vital breast cancer research.

This year, the team achieved the fairytale ending they had been chasing for a decade, claiming the outright victory at the Bathurst 6 Hour. It was an deeply emotional milestone, made even more poignant by their third co-driver, Tickford Racing's Tom Randle, who is a testicular cancer survivor himself. But the Kavich brothers aren't resting on their laurels after conquering Mount Panorama. We sit down with Ben and Michael to discuss their ultimate Bathurst triumph and their bold new chapter as they step out of their production car comfort zones and into the ultra-competitive TA2 Muscle Car Series—all while continuing their relentless drive to fund a cure.

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Race For A Cure Website: https://www.raceforacure.org.au/

The Motor Dream Podcast Website: https://www.themotordream.com.au

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In this episode of the Motor Dream Podcast, we dive into one of Australia's most influential motorsport dynasties: the Ambrose family. The legacy began in 1973 when patriarch Ross Ambrose co-founded Van Diemen, which became the world’s leading Formula Ford chassis manufacturer. His son, Marcos Ambrose, carried the torch onto the global stage, translating early Formula Ford success into back-to-back Supercars Championships (2003–04) before heading to the US to conquer NASCAR with two historic Cup Series road-course victories. Yet, despite an enviable CV of titles, wins, and poles, one crowning achievement always eluded the family patriarchs—a victory at the legendary Mount Panorama.

Enter the next generation. We sit down with rising star Tabitha Ambrose, who is carving out her own formidable path in the sport. After growing up on the NASCAR circuit, Tabitha returned to Australia, rapidly climbing the ranks from karts to Excel racing, and eventually into the Australian Formula Ford Series—a full-circle moment driving under the iconic Pirtek banner. Tabitha joins us to talk about her sensational breakout season, including how she officially broke the family's Bathurst hoodoo with a Class B1 victory at the Bathurst 6 Hour. Plus, she shares insights into her ambitious 2026 campaign, her love for historic machinery, and why her passion for motorsport now has her eyeing the dirt tracks of sprintcar racing.

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The Motor Dream Podcast Website: https://www.themotordream.com.au

The Motor Dream Podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMotorDream
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From the moment Colin Chapman bolted wings onto the Lotus 49B in 1968, aerodynamics permanently reshaped the landscape of Formula 1, turning visionary designers like Adrian Newey and Gordon Murray into motorsport icons. In this episode, we chart the incredible journey of Sydney’s own Dr. Sammy Diasinos, who turned his childhood obsession with F1 into a glittering international engineering career. After cutting his teeth on aerospace engineering at UNSW, Sammy realized his ultimate dream in 2006, breaking into the pinnacle of motorsport. Over the next seven years, he served as a pivotal CFD engineer during Toyota's final podium-clinching seasons, navigated the grid with Williams, and weathered the dramatic team transitions at Caterham.

Now back on Australian soil, Sammy continues to push the absolute limits of speed and physics. From securing land speed records with UNSW’s solar car to masterminding the aerodynamics of RP968—the dominant, record-shattering Porsche 968 that owns Sydney Motorsport Park—his expertise remains in high demand. When he isn't shaping the bodywork of elite machinery like the supercharged Spartan supercar, he’s inspiring the next generation as a lecturer at Macquarie University and dissecting the modern grid as a premier F1 media analyst.

Dynamic Aero Solutions Website: https://www.dynamicaerosolutions.com/

The Motor Dream Podcast Website: https://www.themotordream.com.au

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The Motor Dream Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheMotorDream

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