MOTORSPORT: Warwick driver Chris Balint aims to be the best driver in Queensland in the improved production class.

Balint, 18, is doing a civic construction apprenticeship at Southern Downs Regional Council and spends a lot of his spare time involved with motorsport.

He qualified 16th in a field of 21 and was 11th in his first race and then doing well in race 2 before he came into contact with another car on turn 1 in race 2 at the weekend.

"I tried to get out of the contact with as little panel damage as possible,” he said.

"I drove to the condition of the car for the rest of the race.”

He is currently building a VZ Holden Commodore "which will be bigger and faster”.

Balint has a pit crew of his father Rob, Michael and Daniel Plant, Denys Larsen and they work in with Zac and Brad Hudson from Pittsworth at state championship meetings.

"My aim is to be No.1 in Queensland in improved production. I am not looking at a professional career in motorsport,” he said.

"I want to move up to more professional racing and this year go to national race meetings in Darwin and Adelaide.”

At present, his fastest speed is 192kmh down the back at Morgan Park Raceway but with the Commodore he is building expects to better 200km/h.

While motorsport is his speciality, Balint did play rugby union at Scots PGC College and go in trail riding before concentrating on car racing.

Last year, he and fellow young gun Nic Lane travelled to Tasmania to be part of the pit crew for their fathers Rob Balint and Peter Lane in Targa Tasmania.

"It was great experience to be part of the pit crew in Tasmania,” Balint said.

Bikes to town

MORGAN Park Raceway will be the venue for round two of the Motorcycle Sportsman of Queensland series this weekend.

There are 177 entries including an almost full grid of 30 competitors in the Formula 1 class.

MSQ has 11 sidecar entries and most will be aiming to fine tune their form for the upcoming round of the Australian Championships at Masters of Morgan Park on May 19-20.

MSQ president Paul Dawson said rider numbers were up on last year.

"The riders enjoy Morgan Park, we will be there for seven meetings this year,” he said.