As the Lismore Speedway comes to another season close on April 18, we take a look back at the story of Bronte Jordan. Miss Speedway, or the Trophy Girl, as she is affectionately known, is far more than what the cover suggests. Bronte spoke to Chris Speed.

I dropped out of Year 12 after two weeks. I was at Casino High School and I got a two-day trial with Poletto's Mechanical Repairs in McLennan Lane, Lismore. Then a week later I began working here.

I wanted to get out of school because I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to go do something involving cars. At first I wanted to be a welder, I did my welding course and everything, and that just turned into cars. I’d be fiddling with the race cars and helping pop (speedway driver Pat Newstead] with his cars.

From about the age of seven my sister and I used to ride motorbikes on my dad’s property (mainly cattle and horses) at Ellengowan, which is 20 minutes drive south of Casino. I spent a lot of time with my pop. He was a mechanic, as was an uncle (speedway driver Shane Newstead), and he would always be out in his shed working on something. So I would be out there working with him. I had my own special little tools I used to work with.

The way an engine works sparked my attention – there’s so many different parts and components that come together.

It just amazes me how versatile they can be, how much you can do with them. If you’ve got the mindset, you can do it.

After having the whole engine pulled apart, putting it back together and seeing it all run at the end. Especially little things like sensors that can make an engine not run, this tiniest little thing. It’s satisfying.

CV grease! I hate grease! Probably the worst things are grease and fingernails. My work clothes stink of gear oil. But there’s nothing I don’t like about it, every day is something different, you’re always learning something everyday. Diagnosing different things.

Bronte Jordan is about to finish her apprenticeship as a mechanic at Poletto's Mechanical Repairs. Photo: Chris Speed

Speedway’s always been a huge part of my life, ever since I can remember. Every Saturday night was spent at the racetrack. My uncle Shane and my grandfather Pat raced so that was a big part of it, it’s just always growing up around that. My grandparents used to babysit me while mum worked, so instead of going shopping with my grandmother I’d be in the shed with my pop. So it was just normal for me growing up to have cars around and be interested in cars. For me, being a female and being interested in cars isn’t abnormal.

If an opportunity to drive came up, I’d be in for sure. Sitting on the infield and watching them race and seeing how much my uncle enjoys it, and hearing stories from my Pop, makes me want to. I’ve got the motivation behind it. I’ve just got the thrill for going fast. I reckon I’d give them a run for their money, definitely! Most of them just get in the car and drive it, they don’t have that much to do with the engine. I’m still trying to convince my uncle to give me a run, use the AMCA, but he won’t!

AMCA Nationals are purpose-built modified race cars based on American Dirt Modifieds. All chassis feature a HQ-WB Holden front clip and drivers have the choice of running either a Holden V8 253ci engine, which produces around 340 horsepower, or a Chevrolet V8 350ci crate engine, which produces around 350 horsepower.

Being Miss Speedway is definitely not what I thought I’d see myself doing - at all! I was always the type of girl who thought of being a car girl as being a double standard, a chick who’s just doing it for attention. That’s what people think when they see me there [at the speedway] but then they get an insight into what I do for a living and they’re like ‘oh, okay, she’s kind of got the best of both worlds’. She dresses up as a female [at speedway] and sees behind the scenes and she comes here [to work] and looks completely different. All my customers that come here, most of them go to speedway and they don’t recognise me. When I’m here at work I’m hair up, grubby, boots and work clothes, and at Lismore Speedway I’m looking like a female.

They wanted someone there [for promotional purposes]. They always knew me around there and they asked my auntie if she knew of anyone, and she’s like ask Bronte to do it, she’s always here anyway.

Bronte Jordan, as the Trophy Girl, with Mr Modified opening round winner Jai Stephenson (centre) with runner-up Mitch Randall (left) and third-placed Mark Robinson. Photo: Tony Powell

To me it’s good that I can go from here, being a little grub, to out there, still being able to be a female but still being part of the car scene. I like dressing up but I still like having something to do with cars. The boys will see me at the racetrack and if my uncle needs a hand working on his car I’ll be there with my [Miss Speedway uniform] under the car.

Now if it was another girl who wasn’t used to working in a male-dominated area then yeah, I could see an issue. But all the blokes there know me well enough. I get respect. People know my family, they know what I do for a living but if it was a random female I’d say it would be a different story. The boys will stand there and talk to me how their car was running after they get off the track.

The top drivers are all good role models for younger kids and I’ve known them since I was young. My grandmother used to change (former Australian V8 Dirt Modified champion) Andrew Pezzutti’s nappy when he was little!

Being Miss Speedway is more just a bit of fun for me. I get to go to something I love watching and be on the infield, the best seat in the house. I don’t see it as a job, or work, it’s just fun. If they stopped Miss Speedway, I’d still go there and watch it.

More women should be in trades like mine. Females should be able to do anything, whatever they want to do, they shouldn’t be afraid that a male is going to be like ‘you can’t do that, you’re a female.’ Even here (Poletto's Mechanical Repairs) when I first started working here, I doubted myself so much. I was like, I’m not going to be able to do it, I don’t have the muscle. When I first started here, there was so much I couldn’t do but I’ve learnt so much, If something’s seized, hit it with a bigger hammer! My boss said to me the other day, after three years you can finally lift a 37 inch tyre! There’s definitely no reason a female can’t do it.

It’s great to see Natasha Hearne racing. And all the young girls in juniors, it’s so good to see.

I had a bloke come in here, he said ‘You’re the reason my daughter’s now getting into cars and going to TAFE as a mechanic'. That’s the best thing I’ve ever heard! For my niece, she’s only one or so, for her to grow up in an environment where working on cars as a female is normal, and doing anything as a female is normal, not having the whole male-dominated trade anymore, it makes me happy for her to see that.

The whole sexism thing is just dying down, which is good.

Fausto Poletto told the Lismore App that Bronte was recommended by her TAFE teachers.

Fausto Poletto says Bronte Jordan has always been willing to learn, willing to listen. Photo: Chris Speed

"When I rang them up they said ‘Oh you’ve gotta get this girl, she’s really really good’, and that’s when it all started to roll into place. She knew what she was on about, she knew what she was talking about. Nowadays it’s very difficult, you might get somebody in that you think knows a lot and they know very little. She didn’t pretend she knew everything but she knew a fair bit about what she’s doing. From day dot she was willing to learn, willing to listen.

"The reaction to Bronte did surprise me. I was a bit concerned to start with about the older gentlemen, we service their cars, how they felt about a woman working on their cars, but a lot of them just love her. They’ve come to realise she knows what she’s talking about and she’s not just here for decoration.

"I know she copped a lot of flak from her tech mates for being the trophy girl (Miss Speedway). I’ve got no problem with what she does. As long as she comes to work, does her work well. She’s got her head screwed on, she’s got her life together. She was saying she wants to own a workshop full of women."

David Lander, owner/operator of Lismore Speedway, said Bronte was in her second season as Miss Speedway.

Lismore Speedway owner/operator David Lander said the paying punters would be shocked to know Bronte's a mechanic. Photo: Tony Powell

"She’s our trophy girl, we run a program competition and she helps people fill out the forms. She’s a regular helper for the patrons.

"The competitors all like her and I think the public do too.

"She’s got an uncle that races, she has that mechanical experience which is unusual – I think she’s an asset.

"I think the public would probably be surprised about Bronte. I think if she told them she was a motor mechanic they’d be shocked. But she’s not the first female motor mechanic I’ve encountered. She’s done it and she’s done it well. I had my last [car] dealership in Sydney and we had a girl we took on as an apprenticeship, she completed it, and then went on the service counter and was very good at it.

"Bronte does it well, she’s an attraction, she’s a good looking girl. While she’s popular we’ll keep her. If she chucked it in tomorrow, I’d get another girl, I wouldn’t get a bloke.

"I had a dealership that employed 88 people in Sydney, 34 of them were female because to be honest with you, they are better employees. They’re there to prove that they can do it and they’ve proven to me for years that they’re better employees. They come to work on time, they don’t take sickies when it’s not needed.

"I had a female mechanic, spare parts drivers, spare parts pickers, sales girls, every thing. Over the years, and I’m 72, they’ve proven that they’re better employees. No sexism there!”

Bronte finishes her apprenticeship shortly.

Bronte Jordan has plans for her future but is happy to work as a mechanic in Lismore for the time being. Photo: Chris Speed

I’ll definitely stay here for a few more years, but eventually I’d like to venture out to the mines, go into heavy diesel and machine operating. They’re requesting females out there too because they’re just so much easier on the equipment. I’ve had a few job offers recently but I’ve got it too good here.