“I LOVE HOW DYNAMIC THE V8 SUPERCARS ARE – WHETHER YOU’RE WATCHING THEM ON TV OR AT THE EVENT,” SAYS MATTHEW WHITE. “IT IS PURE PRIMAL SPORT.

‘Then there’s the history, their place in Australian culture, the classic Ford versus Holden rivalry, the smell and the sounds of raceday at the track and of course, Bathurst.”

Indeed, as a long-time fan of V8s and having worked on the coverage during his time at Channel Ten, Matty is understandably thrilled they’re back on Seven in ’07.

“One of the great things about this season is that we start with a clean slate,” he says. “Each team and each driver will face new challenges at every round because set-up, as always, will be absolutely crucial. It also signifies yet another chapter in the history of Falcon versus Commodore.

“The new qualifying format will be breathtaking too because we now have cut-throat sessions that will only increase the drama up and down pit lane. I think it’s also important to note that the shootout is being retained for Sandown and Bathurst – which is where it works best. The points system will finally achieve more answers than questions, both on the racetrack and on the score sheet.”

Matthew’s drivers-to-watch for ’07 are Jamie Whincup and Rick Kelly.

“Whincup finished 10th in the series in 2006, but I’m expecting much more consistency in 2007,” he says. “And watch Rick of course, as the number one on the door can have an amazing effect!’’

As for Matty’s favourite event in the series, it’s a close call.
“Line-ball between Adelaide and Bathurst,” he says. “The Clipsal is an amazing event and a great street circuit, but Bathurst is, and will always be, the Mecca.”

Matthew is now sports anchor for Seven News but began his career in journalism began when he worked as a reporter at The Manly Daily, which led to his start in broadcast journalism, presenting the news on New FM in Newcastle. Matthew’s love of sport and natural ability in front of the camera landed him the role of weekend sports presenter with NBN Newcastle.

He was later instrumental in the launch of Channel Ten’s sports program Sports Tonight, having been with the program since its beginning. Matthew also has extensive experience in anchoring and commentating major sports events and telecasts such as the V8 Supercars, Formula One Motor Racing, Australian Open tennis the Melbourne Cup, the Uncle Toby’s IronMan Series, US Open Golf tournaments, AFL Grand Finals, the 2004 Athens Olympics and 2006 Torino Olympics.