YOUNG GUN: LUKE VANNA

At just 21, Luke Vanna has developed his craft over a career spanning a vast variety of categories. He spoke to Josh Nevett about his humble racing beginnings and hunger for horsepower.

Luke Van Herwaade (Vanna on the racetrack) speaks with the enthusiasm of someone who relishes every moment, and why shouldn’t he?

Despite coming from a background devoid of racing, the Queenslander has turned his infectious passion into progress through the sport in which he hopes to spend his life.

Townsville saw Vanna demonstrate his audacious driving style in the Toyota Gazoo Racing 86 Series after a four-month break. He managed ninth, fifth and sixth finishes, which is impressive considering his racing education begun with television screens and Need for Speed.

“I never really had anyone in my family that was massively into racing or whatnot,” Vanna told Auto Action.

“But I remember as a kid growing up playing games and seeing it on TV, just watching people drive really got me into it.”

The V8 Supercars Championship and Formula 1 consumed the mind of the aspirational youngster.

But, like many before him, karts were the starting point for the Gold Coast local. After years of nagging, Luke’s father David finally relented, purchasing a kart to set off a chain of events that could not be anticipated.

“I did three years in karting. My first year I pretty much just did local races,” Vanna remembers.

“Ipswich Kart Club was my local home track. But I remember the first track that I went to was Lismore Kart Club. I did every second weekend bouncing between those two clubs.”

Vanna’s ability was quickly evident, as he was put on a plane to the Super Nationals in Las Vegas at the end of 2015. From that point racing has been front and centre.

The youngster stayed oversees for the next six months, racing in America, England and France for a German team called Mach 1 Karting, completing the adventure with the International IAME Finals at Le Mans.

“I was a bit green but definitely an experience that helped me along the way,” Vanna said.

With the racing bug firmly entrenched, there was no place like home when it came to advancing a career in the sport.

With a plethora of options available, Vanna dived into a burgeoning category, the Toyota 86 Series, which has been a constant in his career ever since.

Just like Vanna, the Toyota 86 Series has gone from strength to strength, providing an attractive package for up-and-coming drivers wanting maximum exposure and bang for buck.

“The Toyota 86 racing series is really solid value,” Vanna explains.

“You’re racing at some the best tracks in Australia, and you could argue, the world.

“You’re going to Bathurst and you’re racing with Supercars. You’ve got the biggest eyes in Australia on you.

“You’ve got 40-odd cars on a Supercars track. It’s carnage and I love that. I love being on the edge, I love being three-wide coming into a corner, that’s the best thing about racing.”

Luke Sieders was the man who walked him through the first couple of years, an opportunity that Vanna is noticeably thankful for.

“Luke Sieders is an amazing bloke,” said a gushing Vanna.

“I used to fly to Sydney, they would allow me to sleep at their house and then drive me to the racetrack to do a test day and have a race meeting. They let me in as one of their own, I’m really appreciative of it.”

Under Sieders’ guidance, Vanna finished 12th and 17th in his first two seasons of Toyota 86 competition, achieving a best race result of second at Sandown in 2018 up against stiff competition including current Super2 leader Broc Feeney and TCR front runner Luke King.

Despite the moments of triumph, midfield was not enough for Vanna, who then enlisted the help of national racing identity Paul Morris.

“I raced as a Paul Morris Motorsport driver in 2019 with Declan Fraser,” recalls Vanna.

“My main mentor is hands down Paul Morris, he’s always got something to say, constructive or positive.

“He knows everything, and he knows everybody. The contacts that I’ve made, the experiences that he’s given me, he’s allowed me to work as a driving instructor at his track, which is really an amazing opportunity.”

Vanna finished 11th in his season with Morris, claiming back-to-back podium finishes in a successful weekend at Bathurst.

In between Toyota 86 rounds Vanna has dabbled in more categories than you could count on one hand, including SuperUtes, Stadium Super Trucks, Aussie Racing Cars and GT-1 in a MARC Mazda 3.

This has given the 21-year-old a wealth of experience, propelling his development.

“I’ve learned that the foundations are the same,” Vanna shares after consideration.

“I’ve taken a little bit from everything.

“Driving the Super Truck, massive tyre, I understand a little bit more out of the tyre flexes, how it works.

“Driving the GT car, aerodynamics, I understand how the aero works through a corner at high speed.

“Toyota 86s there’s minimal grip, no aero. I understand how to throw the car around and get the maximum out of a low horsepower car.”

When it came to picking a favourite category, Vanna struggled to separate the exclusivity of GT racing and absurd excess of Super Trucks. After much deliberation, he chose the latter.

“I think the most fun I’ve ever had was racing a Super Truck at Adelaide. I cannot stress enough that I don’t get too scared when I drive a car but driving around there three-wide going up jumps… that was something else.”

Neither category provided Vanna with his first win, however. That memory will always be tied to the SuperUtes Series season opener at the Adelaide Street Circuit in 2019.

“It was really, really surreal. I felt ecstatic coming out of the car. To start the season off like that was fantastic,” Vanna fondly remembers.

Harnessing all the learnings of a hectic start to racing, Vanna has taken control of his motor sport destiny in 2021.

With the help of his father David, Luke Vanna Racing is now a mostly independent operation.

“We will cut the cost a little bit this year running as a family,” Vanna said.

“Working with my dad, he doesn’t have a ridiculous amount of mechanical knowledge. But he gets in and has a crack at absolutely everything that he does.”

This, like many of the moves in a short career to date, has turned out well.

Alongside the solid finishes in Townsville, Vanna managed a Toyota 86 career best of fourth in the final race at Mount Panorama in February.

The upturn in results already has Vanna looking to the future, and not just the short-term.

“I really would have hoped to have hopped into higher horsepower this year. But I stayed with the 86 because I own the car and it was just uncertain (with COVID) about the year,” Vanna reveals.

“Next year, definitely looking for higher horsepower, more grip. A couple of series’ that jump to mind are the Super2’s, or even Trans Am.

“I do believe I will be in motorsport my whole life, whether it’s driving a car or working in a team. I just finished my degree at university, a business degree, I think I’ve got enough business sense.”

Evidently, Vanna has grand plans. Every choice he makes, both on and off the track, he does so with purpose and conviction.

The Gold Coast racer already has a broad range of racing experience behind him, and the personal connections to match.

As he weighs up his next move, it is clear. Luke Vanna is undoubtedly one to watch.