By Ben Deatherage
BRISBANE, Australia (Aug. 20, 2025) — Queensland is a land of contrasts — world-famous beaches crashing against the Gold Coast, tropical rainforests teeming with life, the Great Barrier Reef stretching like a jewel along its northern edge, and the Great Dividing Range cutting inland. It’s the “Sunshine State,” with nearly 300 days of warmth each year, but also home to cane toads, drop-bear legends, and a wildness that shapes those who grow up there.
It’s from this backdrop that Nathan Tomkins, a racer from the Brisbane area, will trade the familiar dirt tracks of Australia for the bright lights of Iowa’s Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. For the first time, he’ll set foot in America to chase a dream on dirt.
Nathan Tomkins stands alongside his Australian Modified, which he races regularly back home in Queensland. (Photo by Tomkins Motorsport)
His path to Boone Speedway began not in a shop but with a friendship. A chance meeting at the Australian Title with racing personality Wade Aunger set the wheels in motion.
“Wade and I sort of hit it off there,” Tomkins recalled. “He had come back from Super Nationals a few years ago and did our maternity photo shoot with my wife and me for our son. He told me, ‘Dude, you’ve got to get over here.’ Without Wade, none of this would have happened.”
Now, thanks to that encouragement — and a seat in Tim Czarneski’s no. 21T Friesen Performance IMCA Modified — the 35-year-old Queenslander is preparing for his first U.S. race. He’ll debut at the Prelude, with his wife Bri and their 18-month-old son in tow, and document the journey on the Tomkins Motorsport YouTube channel.
The Czarneski family-owned no. 21T Friesen Performance IMCA Modified will serve as Tomkins’ ride for his Super Nationals debut at Boone Speedway. (Photo by DanLewisPhoto.net)
Roots of the Sunshine State
Queensland was formally proclaimed a colony in 1859, separating from New South Wales and taking its name in honor of Queen Victoria. Its warm subtropical climate, fertile farmland, and vast natural resources made it attractive to settlers, fueling growth in ranching, mining, and sugarcane production. Over time, it earned nicknames like the “Sunshine State,” the “Tropical North,” and even the “Banana State,” each reflecting a different side of its landscape and culture.
The capital city of Brisbane carries the name of Sir Thomas Brisbane, Governor of New South Wales from 1821 to 1825. Brisbane himself had a decorated military career, serving in the British Army during the French Revolutionary Wars, the Peninsular War alongside the Duke of Wellington, and even in America during the War of 1812, where he commanded troops at the Battle of Plattsburgh.
For his service he was awarded the Army Gold Cross and the silver war medal, cementing his legacy as a respected soldier before turning to colonial administration. The city that bears his name rose from a penal colony in the 1820s to a thriving urban hub by the mid-19th century, blending its martial namesake’s legacy with the economic vitality of a growing state.
From Rockhampton to Brisbane
Racing runs deep in the Tomkins family. His grandfather, uncle, and father Glynn all competed. His brother Rhys still lines up against him in Queensland.
“It’s a bit of a family affair, and it goes back a long way,” Nathan said.
Before racing Modifieds, he cut his teeth in go-karts and motocross. For the past six years, he’s been a fixture in Australia’s local Modified scene. In 2025, he added to his credentials with a third-place finish in the Queensland State Title and a fifth in the Australian National Title, proving he can run with the best in the country.
The machines he drives back home differ from what awaits in Iowa.
“Over here we run a single leaf rear end with a coil-over spring and a two-barrel carburetor on a 602 crate motor,” he explained. “A little bit less power and not as free in the rearend as an IMCA car.”
He also drives a Mod Lite, campaigning the Everyday Finance Solutions no. Q116 entry for car owner Alan Peters. That makes the Mod Lites at Boone a familiar sight. The Stealth Racing IMCA STARS Mod Lites that will be on hand will be apart of the Super Nationals program on August 30-31.
In 2023, Queensland racers lost their flagship venue when Brisbane’s Archerfield Speedway shuttered after 44 years.
“We’ve been without a speedway in Brisbane the last two seasons,” Tomkins said. “But a new facility is being built in Morton Bay, and it’s going to be huge for Queensland racing.”
Until then, he makes the drive to Toowoomba or travels to the heap of regional tracks to keep the wheels turning.
Nathan Tomkins at speed in the Everyday Finance Solutions no. Q116 Mod Lite, a car he campaigns in Australia for Alan Peters. (Photo by 44 Photography)
Queensland Pride
Tomkins grew up in Rockhampton, eight hours north of Brisbane along the Great Barrier Reef. At 20, he moved south to Brisbane for work, and today he and his family live on an acre of land between Brisbane and Toowoomba. These days, life away from the track is filled with simpler passions.
“We’re big into mountain biking,” he said. “There are a lot of great trails and tracks around here. And if someone’s coming to visit, I’d send them to the Gold Coast or Surfer’s Paradise — it’s world class.”
Queensland itself is never far from his identity. The Sunshine State is known for its beaches, laid-back lifestyle, and natural beauty, but also its oddities. Cane toads — introduced in 1935 to fight pests — now number in the billions and overwhelm local ecosystems, a reminder that the land has a wild streak of its own.
It’s that mix of beauty and grit that Nathan carries with him across the Pacific — a Queenslander with deep family racing roots, now ready to see where he stacks up against the best on Boone’s clay.
Tomkins’ connection to his homeland travels with him, painted on the back of his helmet. Designed by Upfield Design, it features a snarling koala — a nod to the infamous Australian folklore creature, the “drop bear.” Unlike their cuddly cousins, drop bears are mythical predators said to ambush unsuspecting visitors from the treetops.
“My wife said I’m not an angry person at all until something really ticks me off at the track,” he explained. “She told me, ‘You’re this cuddly koala until someone pokes the bear.’ So the helmet became an angry koala, a drop bear — like me when I’m racing. It turned out really sick.”
For Tomkins, the helmet is more than paint. It’s identity, humor, and heritage rolled into one — and a reminder of the spirit he’s bringing from Australia to Boone.
For those who want a closer look, Tomkins chronicles much of his adventures on the Tomkins Motorsport YouTube channel, giving fans a chance to see what racing in Australia looks like — and what makes it unique.
The Road Ahead
The journey itself is part of the adventure. A 13-hour flight from Brisbane to Los Angeles, a family tour of California, and then on to Iowa with a camper for the week.
“I plan to run the Prelude for sure,” Tomkins said. “I want to get some laps under my belt before trying to qualify for the big dance.”
He knows this trip is about more than results. It’s about experience, exposure, and fulfilling a dream. There’s even talk of a reciprocal arrangement, with Tim Czarneski’s son Cole possibly racing in Australia behind the wheel of Tomkins’ car.
