Left and below: Lysterfield South go-karter Justin Schneider added this month’s Queensland State Championships to his national title win over Easter.By Marc McGowan
LYSTERFIELD South’s Justin Schneider has returned to the national go-kart circuit with a vengeance this season following a horrific injury two years ago.
The 2005 Confederation of Australian Motor Sport Rising Star program member said he was only picking the sport up again this year for its social side.
But the 20-year-old’s comeback has been nothing short of outstanding, and has included pocketing the Leopard Heavy category in Easter’s Australian National Championships in Tasmania and this month’s Queensland State Championships.
All this from a sportsman who claims go-karting is nothing but a hobby.
“I’m pretty rapt and pretty excited about the whole thing,” Schneider said.
“We weren’t expecting to win, so overall we’re pretty pleased.”
Schneider finished second in heat one before striking trouble in heat two and having to battle his way back up the field.
Schneider began the pre-final from third position, but was forced to fight back again for victory before claiming pole and winning the 19-lap final with ease.
In 2006 he was involved in a collision with another go-kart which left him and his Arrow AX9 CIK stationary in the middle of the track.
Worse was to come, with two rival drivers roaring around the corner and hitting Schneider at 100km/h.
Schneider required 20 stitches in his back and broke his thumb, but the mental scars lasted well beyond the three-month recovery period required for the injuries.
Back then Schneider was harbouring lofty ambitions of breaking into V8 Supercars and had raced Formula Fords the year before.
Following the accident and his struggles to attain the sponsorship needed to be competitive at the elite level, he chose to take an extended break and concentrate on his work as an apprentice electrician.
But after watching from the sidelines for so long, the urge to compete returned.
“I missed the sport and just wanted to get back for the social side of things and to catch up with friends,” Schneider said.
“I came back to it for a hobby – a bit of fun – and I’ve been doing really well, so I’m just going along for the ride.”
Go-karting is a family passion, with father Michael Schneider’s chief mechanic and mother Sharon his biggest supporter.
Motor sport may yet become an even bigger part of the Schneider clan’s life, with Justin’s success this year possibly reigniting his desire to reach the top.
“If someone offered me something to go race V8 Supercars I’d go for it, but I’m kind of happy with where I’m at now,” he said.
“I haven’t got any specific goals at this stage, so I’m just continuing what I’m doing.
“Maybe next year I’ll have a look at it.”
