Zac Catterall asked for 52 weeks of work experience. Four years on, the Murwillumbah apprentice has earned a spot trackside with Red Bull Ampol Racing at the Bathurst 1000.
Zac, a fourth-year agricultural apprentice with Wright Machinery Services in northern NSW, joined the Red Bull Ampol Racing pit crew at the Bathurst 1000 in Mount Panorama as part of New Holland's apprentice program, which recognises exceptional service apprentices.
“It was unreal being in the pits, running tyres and fuel with the team,” Zac said. “It was worth it 100 per cent. They’re a good crew.”
“Race day was awesome. There was a lot going on and always something to do.” he said.
“It surprised me how quick and efficient the team were with the job.”
Zac grew up around machinery on his family's cane farm, and it was there that his interest in machinery started.
"I was always working on machinery with the old man growing up. We had our own cane harvesters and tractors, so I was always there watching as a young fella. I started watching and loved it, so that's how I fell into it," he said.
He first arrived at Wright Machinery Services for school work experience at just 15. After his first week, he asked to come back.
"We asked him the question of how many weeks work experience he was allowed from school," said Wright Machinery Services owners Glenn and Jode Wright. "Zac's response was 52 weeks."
The youngest of five siblings, Zac comes from a cane farming family, and Glenn said those values show in his work.
"Dedication, resilience, and responsibility are simply part of everyday life. He takes pride in his work and is always willing to put in the extra effort to achieve the best possible outcome."
Zac's skills with tractors and machinery meant Wright Machinery Services signed him off a year early. He is now completing the Auto Electrical course at Albury TAFE and will hold a dual qualification.
"I did my mechanical and then my auto electrical as well," Zac said. "I find the electrical side interesting, which is why I went into doing my auto electrical."
Day to day, Zac works mainly on New Holland tractors in the T4 to T7 range.
"We're sugarcane, so about 180 horsepower is the main ones you'll get for the farm, and then your 230 horsepower, which are your haul-outs, so that's about the biggest really. And of course your Boomer range too," he said.
It's a small team at the Murwillumbah workshop. "It's myself and one other apprentice Finn, Glenn, Jodie and their daughter Hannah in spare parts, so it's just a family-run business," Zac said.
Wright Machinery Services Service Manager Glenn Wright said Zac has become a highly capable member of the team.
"Zac's willingness to learn, combined with his persistence and problem-solving ability, has made him a highly capable and reliable technician, with so much more to learn and achieve in the coming years," Glenn said.
Zac is one of six exceptional apprentice service technicians who will get to experience race day action at Supercars races across Australia and New Zealand this year, thanks to New Holland's sponsorship of the Red Bull Ampol Racing team.
The program is open to service apprentices working across New Holland Agriculture's network of 125 Australian and New Zealand dealerships, where Dealer Principals or Service Managers nominate outstanding apprentices.