Chloe Lebeter competes across Queensland in speedway races

From falling in love with the sport and quitting after one year of racing, it has been a bumpy ride for Mackay’s Chloe Lebeter. But the 14 year old has strapped back in for more wild drives.

People say kids are a product of their parents, and that is true for Chloe Lebeter.

The racer fell in love with the sport at 10 years old, watching her parents tinker with their cars and compete around Queensland.

Now 14 years old, Lebeter competes around Queensland, with some trips interstate to race against the best in the country.

She said her parents were the main source of inspiration.

Chloe Lebeter competes in Speedway racing. Picture: Lachie Millard

“Mum and dad used to race as well, so I used to love going to the tracks and helping out,” she said.

“We went to a mate’s property one time when I was young, I sat on dad’s lap in his race car and that was probably it for me.”

Chloe Lebeter races across Queensland and consistently travels more than 35,000km a year. Picture: Lachie Millard

Lebeter competed in both the Queensland and Australian titles in her first season, but she gave up the sport after other racers bullied her for being the youngest competitor on the track.

But after a break in the sport, Lebeter got back on track, winning her first feature race in April 2021 as well as multiple heat wins.

The road has not always been smooth, with the 14 year old suffering a massive crash which she was luckily able to walk away from.

Chloe’s father Dan said the car copped a beating, but the safety equipment meant she was able to walk free from the crash.

“She’s got a full containment seat and a five-point harness, so when she crashes like that she is absolutely fine,” he said.

“Crashes like that are not very common, the suspension in the car usually means we can just about stop it from happening but it was pretty major.”

The expenses from the crash added to a long list of costs for the expensive, and expansive, sport.

Chloe Lebeter crashes during a race. Picture: Contributed

Lebeter said she travelled about 35,000km a year to attend different tracks for events after the Mackay racetrack in Palmyra was closed in 2019.

“We goes as far north as Cairns and then down to Toowoomba and Roma and everywhere in between for Queensland,” Lebeter said.

“We’ve gone down to New South Wales as well, but it all depends on who’s hosting that race.

“Sometimes we race every weekend, sometimes it drops to two weekends a month, but it really comes down to where there’s racing.”

Originally published as Chloe Lebeter competes across Queensland in speedway races