BIOGRAPHY

BIOGRAPHY AS AT MAY 2008

Throughout the late 1950's, 1960's and 1970's New Zealanders were at the pinnacle of worldwide motor racing following the successes of drivers the calibre of Bruce McLaren, Denny Hulme and Chris Amon. Now, as the 21st century commences, we see similar interest being expressed in a new era of young New Zealand drivers who have demonstrated the skills, determination and undeniable will to succeed in this high profile sport. One such young man earning himself a reputation for possessing these requirements is New Zealand racing driver, Matt Halliday and this is his story...

Born in Auckland in 1979 (age 26), Matt's racing career began in karting and during the mid 1990's, success came frequently and culminated in winning the NZ Junior Championship (Junior Light and National) in 1994. The following year he won the NZ City Of Sails Championship in Auckland and in 1996 the National Senior Karting Series.

During 1997 Matt purchased his first race car, a Formula Ford and contested some unofficial championships over the winter months then set out on an assault of the 1998 series. During the cut and thrust season he scored eight second places and 12 podium finishes for an overall 4th place in his first attempt at the series.

Rather than return for a second assault on the Formula Ford Championship, Matt surprised all when he negotiated a full season's drive in the Australian Formula Holden Championship with the Ralt Australia team. Despite not having previously seen an Australian circuit he adjusted well to score a series of podium finishes climaxed by a remarkable 2nd place in the high profile Adelaide 500 meeting. At the end of the year Ralt Australia brought Matt back across the Tasman to contest the New Zealand Grand Prix in which he finished 3rd.

Having finished 3rd outright in the 1999 Formula Holden championship, Halliday contested the 2000 series and again finished 3rd in the points but this time took the chequered flag at the Adelaide 500 feature race. He was then contracted to NRC Racing for the 2000 New Zealand Grand Prix and after a thrilling dice came home in 2nd place together with finishing Runner-up in the Tasman Cup Series.

Having come to the attention of some influential businessmen, Matt embarked on a campaign to to break into the lucrative USA racing scene. Finances enabled him to compete in the 2001 USA Indy Lights Championship which was the second tier to the CART Champcar World Series. At this point Halliday made the biggest impact of his career as he joined the series after missing the first three rounds and without any testing opportunities. Despite these disadvantages he finished every race in the points including two podium finishes (3rd place) to come 6th overall in the championship and 4th in the rookie standings for first year drivers. He also led over half his first oval superspeedway race at Kansas City despite predictions he would take several races to become competitive at this type of circuit.

For the 2002 season Matt returned to the USA to drive in an inaugural oval circuit championship - the Indy Racing League's Infiniti Pro Series - but was eliminated by a serious injury accident in the first race. After a recuperation period Matt stunned everybody by returning to the series and finishing his comeback race in 6th place but withdrew from the remainder of the season in order to expedite a full recovery from his injuries.

While negotiations for his 2003 racing campaign were in progress, Halliday took the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a 2001 Porsche GT3 at the Pukekohe Raceway and achieved three wins and a 2nd place from four starts - all from the pole position in his first attempt at Touring Car racing. As a result he accepted an invitation to contest the Porsche GT3 support races at the 2003 Australian Formula One Grand Prix meeting in Melbourne. Unfortunately a malfunctioning clutch during qualifying saw him miss the first race thus requiring him to start the second race from the rear of the starting grid. Despite the race being only 10 laps duration he carved his way through the field to finish in 5th place out of a field of 26 cars.

For the 2003 season Halliday signed to drive in the inaugural Formula Renault V6 Eurocup Series. The ten round championship took place between April and October on some of the most famous European circuits in France, Germany, Spain, Great Britain, Italy, Belgium, Portugal and Sweden. The European campaign started well with a 3rd and 4th placing on debut at Barcelona which saw Matt second overall in the points despite experiencing handling difficulties. He then continued his progress with a solid 4th placing at Magny-Cours (France) despite starting from 7th grid position in torrential rain. The next round of the championship was the feature event on the calender for this series, held around the streets of Monaco.

Sunday June 1st 2003 will always be looked upon as the day Matt Halliday's motor racing career changed forever. It was on this day that he confirmed what many had long suspected - he is a rapid racing driver with the temperament, determination and skills to succeed in this most difficult of sports. Competing in the Formula Renault V6 race supporting the historic Formula One Grand Prix, Halliday led from pole position to totally dominate the race for 23 of the 24 four laps only to have victory cruelly taken away by a gearbox electronics failure on the final lap. After stopping and finding a low gear, he still managed to limp around to claim 2nd place but all concerned regarded this as Matt's race. Unfortunately, this was to be his last appearance on the podium as, for the next three rounds, his car was beset with technical problems rendering him unable to compete on a level footing with other front runners.

After the disappointment of those three rounds, Halliday and his sponsors decided to withdraw from the series owing to irreconcilable differences over the technical problems being experienced. He was quick to point out, however, that he intended to remain in Europe to pursue other opportunities and although approached to drive for other teams, contractual arrangements prevented him from doing so..

Halliday was then called back to New Zealand to drive in the inaugural 2003/2004 Trans-Tasman Porsche GT3 Challenge. After some serious racing with the likes of Australian captain Jim Richards and Craig Baird, he finished second overall with seven wins to Jim’s eight. Matt’s tally was also aided by five second and three third placings.

It was then decided to return to Melbourne to contest the Carrera Cup support races for 2004 Australian Formula One Grand Prix meeting. Driving a Porsche GT3 owned by Colin Giltrap under the banner of Porsche New Zealand , Matt won two races and finished third in another after his gearbox malfunctioned while leading.  Matt then undertook further Australian Carrera Cup races and made a successful debut in the Bob Jane T-Marts 1000 at Bathurst. Driving  a Ford Falcon V8 Supercar for Orrcon Racing, Matt and the vastly experienced Mark Larkham drove an intelligent race to come home in 11th place. The only hitch occurred during the compulsory brake pad change when two minutes was lost after a brake pad proved reluctant to separate from the disc thus robbing them of a top ten finish.

Over the New Zealand summer of 2004/05 Matt contested the highly competitive New Zealand Porsche GT3 Championship where he again finished second overall after a dramatic series.  

In early February 2005, Matt travelled to the USA to conduct an official Champcar test at the Sebring circuit in Florida. The test, With Mi-Jack Conquest racing, went extremely well as he quickly became accustomed to the high powered Cosworth Turbo engine and large brakes, returning competitive lap times over the 100 laps tested. However, raising the necessary budget at short notice for this year was to prove difficult but he still saw Champ Cars as a viable option for the future.

September 2005 saw the debut of the much anticipated A1 World Cup Grand Prix Series for which New Zealand has taken up its option on a franchise. Matt made an early contribution by qualifying on the front row of the grid for the inaugural race and backing it up with  third and fourth placings in the first round at Brands Hatch in the UK. During the remainder of the series the small and underfunded Kiwi team battled the odds with Matt putting up meritorious performances, particularly in South Africa and  Malaysia to go into the final round, in China, lying in sixth place overall. After a moderate qualifying run, Matt drove with his head and the backing of a great team to finish the day fourth and lift New Zealand to complete the series in fourth place overall out of 21 countries - an outstanding achievment by all involved.

While undertaking his A1GP committments Matt also contested several rounds of New Zealand's Porsche GT3 Championship, winning several races. In respect of his outstanding A1GP performances and spectacular Porsche GT3 driving, Motorsport New Zealand awarded Matt the prestigious Jim Clark Trophy, the highest award in New Zealand motor racing. During the Southern Hemisphere winter months, he contested selected rounds of the Formula Renault V6 Asia Championship which has saw him finish second in the points after notching up several race wins. His 2006 year was topped off by signing up with Australian V8 Supercar team Ford Performance Racing to contest the long distance races at Sandown and Bathurst but despite a top 15 finish at Sandown, a non-finish thwarted his third appearance at Bathurst.

Despite the various setbacks Matt has encountered, 2007 proved to be his busiest and most promising year with committments to three high profile racing series. Matt's driving duties with A1TEAM.NZL continued with the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport which saw a stunning performance in the South African street race at Durban when he qualified on the front row of the grid. After not having driven the car for four months, he then backed that performance up with two hard earned third placings to lift the Kiwi team into second overall on the points standings. In between the A1GP appearances, he is also contesting selected rounds of the New Zealand Porsche GT3 Challenge Cup in which he won seven out of his last nine races to hold second in the points although he did not contest the final two rounds owing to international commitments.

However, the biggest story of Matt's racing career came with his signing with USA racing team, Conquest Racing, to contest the opening three rounds of the 2007 Champcar World Series. The drive came about after a successful test with the team at California's Laguna Seca circuit where he placed eighth fastest out of 22 cars testing. Unfortunately, the campaign did not go to plan although Matt showed considerable speed and ran within the top ten at most races but various technical problems prevented him from running at the sharp end of the field. Although dissappointed, Matt still found his name established in the USA and set the foundations to continue his future racing career in North America.

Halliday certainly had his hands full throughout 2007 with committments to the A1GP series, Champ Car World Series, Porsche GT3 Challenge Cup together with his return to the Sandown and Bathurst V8 Supercar endurance races with Ford Performance Racing. Driving with one of the Team's star drivers, Mark Winterbottom,  gave Matt the opportunity to run at the front of the V8 Supercar field where he excelled by footing it with the established Aussie stars to record 8th place overall at Sandown. Bathurst saw him paired with former FPR driver Owen Kelly with whom he shared mixed fortues at Bathurst. An engine problem at saw the car qualify in 24th but a heroic drive and pit strategy saw them fight their way up to 3rd overall in the final hour. However, the race was reduced to chaos in the closing laps as rain set in but the duo still finished 13th to be one of the highest placed "part time" V8 Supercar combinations.

While negotiating for a full time drive in the USA Champ Car World Series, Matt contested the opening three rounds of the 2007/08 New Zealand Porsche GT3 Challenge Cup where he scored one pole position, several 2nd placings and two new lap records despite experiencing a series of  frustrating problems. Another short campaign in the new year saw Halliday contest the New Zealand Grand Prix at late notice and despite not having driven single seater fo eight months, recorded second place after challenging for the lead throughout. However, with the Champ Car World Series considering a merger with the Indy Racing League, he returned to the USA to continue work on negotiating a full season drive. However, with the merger now having taken place, Matt is looking to other classes of racing for 2008 although their is interest from teams in utilising his testing skills together with the possibility of competing on a one-off basis. In the meantime he will concentrate on domiciling himself in the USA and contiue negotiating for a full time drive in 2009. 

RESUME AS AT  MAY 2008

Age:         29 years
Height:     1.73m
Weight:    65kg
Interests:  Water sports; mountain biking, snowboarding; relaxing with friends.

1988 – 1997 Karting - NZ
National Junior Light Champion in 1994
National Senior Champion in 1996
Auckland City Of Sales Grand Prix Champion in 1996
National Sprint Champion in1997.

1998 - Formula Ford – NZ
3rd - NZ FFI600 Festival
2nd - Auckland FF Club Series
1st - Manfeild Winter Race Series
4th - National Championship (10 Top three finishes)

1999 - Formula Holden – Australia and NZ
3rd - Formula Holden Championship (Five top three finishes)
3rd - New Zealand Grand Prix
3rd - Tasman Cup Series

2000 - Formula Holden – Australia and NZ
3rd - Formula Holden Championship (Eleven top three finishes including a race victory)
Awarded Bruce McLaren Racing Trophy
Awarded White Memorial Trophy
2nd - New Zealand Grand Prix
2nd - Tasman Cup Series

2000 - General
Tested for Larkham Motorsport, Australia, in Ford Falcon V8 Supercar
Tested for Brian Stewart Racing, USA, in Indy Lights Car

2001 – Dayton Indy Lights Series - USA
Contested nine of twelve rounds for three podium finishes.
6th Overall In Championship
4th Overall In "Rookie" Standings for first year competitors.

2002 – Indy Racing League (IRL) Pro Series - USA
Withdrew from series owing to injuries received in opening round accident.
(Made comeback within six weeks of accident to score a 6th placing but fuller recuperation period was necessary to regain full competitiveness).  

2003 – Porsche GT3 - NZ
Contested one round at Pukekohe after injury accident rehabilitation.
Pole position in four races followed by three 1st and one 2nd placing.

2003 –Formula V6 Euroseries – Europe and UK
6th overall after contesting six of ten scheduled rounds.
2nd in Monaco Grand Prix support race after leading all but one lap from pole position.

2004 – Porsche Trans Tasman GT3 Challenge - NZ
Second overall including seven wins, five 2nd and three 3rd placings.

2004 – Australia and NZ - Porsche GT3 and Carrera Cup
Two 1st and a 3rd placing at Australian Grand Prix support races.
2nd and 3rd placings at Winton V8 Supercar support races in borrowed car
Two 1st placings from two at Pukekohe V8 Supercar support races in borrowed car

2004 – V8 Supercars – Australia
11th overall in debut appearance (Orrcon Racing) at the Bob Jane T-Marts 1000  - Bathurst

2005 – New Zealand Porsche GT3 Championship
Second overall including six wins

2005 – Champcars – USA
Successful 100 lap test for Mi-Jack Conquest racing at Sebring, Florida

2005 – V8 Supercars – Australia
13th overall with Alain Menu (Orrcon Racing) at the Bob Jane T-Marts 1000  - Bathurst

2005 To 2006 – A1GP Series World Cup Of Motorsport
Drove the majority of races in the A1GP series, otherwise known as the World Cup Of Motorsport, to help New Zealand finish 4th overall out of 21 countries.

2006 – Formula Renault V6 Asia Championship
1st overall in several feature races to take second overall on points despite only contesting selected rounds.

2006 – V8 Supercars - Australia
Contested Sandown and Bathurst endurance races with Performance Racing to finish 15th at Sandown but did not finish at Bathurst..

2007 – A1GP Series World Cup Of Motorsport
Contested selected rounds of which qualifying second followed by two third places in South Africa have been a highlight.

2007 – New Zealand Porsche GT3 Challenge Cup
Contested selected rounds to record seven wins from last nine races and achieve second overall in Championship despite being unable to contest final two rounds.

2007 – Champcar World Series - USA.
Contested the opening three rounds to establish his name in the high profile North American racing scene.

2007 – V8 Supercars Endurance Races - Australia.
Contested Sandown and Bathurst races for Ford Performance Racing to score 8th and 13th places pespectively.

2007/2008 – New Zealand Porsche GT3 Challenge Cup .
Contested opening three rounds before of Championship before returning to USA. Scored several 2nd placings and set two new lap records despite encountering niggling problems.  

FUTURE COMMITMENTS

2007/2008 – USA Champcar World Series & Indy Racing League
Negotiating for full time Champ Car drive until the Champcar World Series merged with Indy Racing League so now negotiating for testing and reserve driver contract and full time drive for 2008. Currently moving residence to live permanently in USA.

2008 – Austrlian V8 Supercar Championshp Endurance Races
Negotiating with two teams for a seat in Phillip Island and Bathurst Endurance V8 Supercar races to be held in September and October.

2008 – New Zealand Porsche GT3 Challenge Cup - NZ.
Intending to enter selected rounds over November to January period but only where Northern Hemisphere committments allow. 

FUTURE PROSPECTS

Committing himself to live permanently in the USA and secure full time drive in the IndyCar Championship plus selected drives in Le Mans Sports Car Series and Porsche Supercup races.

Securing regular drive with one team in Australian V8 Supercar Endurance races for next two years.

Hoping committments will allow a return to some Porsche GT3 Challenge Cup rounds because he "loves driving in the New Zealand Series."