Name – Casey Le Garde
Age – 16
Location – Greenbank, Brisbane
What do you race ? 4SS Senior Light, previously raced in 4SS Junior (2019)
How long have you been racing? 2 years
What do you enjoy most about racing? I enjoy the close racing when it happens and the strategy of battling other drivers on track. I love the feeling of calmness inside my helmet and having no distractions form other people at this point I can think really clearly.
Who is your inspiration and why did you start racing? My inspiration came from my Dad, after watching him race I really wanted to give it go and when I did I just loved it.
What would you like people to know about you? I love racing, I get anxious about all sorts of things but racing makes me fell relaxed most of the time. I have a pet Cockateal (Nibbles) and a dog (Benji) I race online with friends and build lots of Lego vehicles and contraptions in my spare time.
Who supports you in your racing? My family, Mum and Dad, and my sister. My friends in my street and those I have met from racing.
Would you like to tell us about your autism diagnosis and about any challenges you face? I don’t understand a lot of it apart form how it affects my judgment and I get my thoughts mixed up easily. Some challenges have been school, now I am home schooled I am doing much better and hope to be finished this year with my High School level education.
How do you think autism has helped you? I feel it hinders me a huge amount but I am doing my best to work on myself to be able to deal with the problems. Mum and Dad help me a lot.
Who are your sponsors? Apart from Mum and Dad, I am helped by Queensland Engineering Supplies (QES) and BnD Signs and Auto One at Browns Plains. Bobbin and Thread (Mum again) Matrix Motorsport is our team that my Dad runs.
Anything else? Look I haven’t been racing long only 1 full year in 4SS Junior but I love racing and always race with respect for myself and others and I have other friends with Autism in some shape that I never would have met if I hadn’t gone racing. Having fun is the main thing but I still like to try to win or get on the podium. Now I am in Seniors that is a lot harder but I am loving it.