Revving Back to My Roots: The Journey Behind “Need for Speed: Western Sydney Edition”

Cars have always been a huge part of my life. Since I was a kid, I’ve been fascinated by the mechanics, the design, and the culture around them. But it was in 2005, after watching Initial D, that my passion really took off. That show introduced me to the world of JDM cars and street racing culture in Japan, and I’ve been hooked ever since.

By 2007, I owned a 180SX and spent hours in the garage tinkering and modding. I even started writing tech articles for the Nissan Silvia forums, sharing my knowledge with fellow enthusiasts. That naturally led to more opportunities, and in 2009, I made the transition to writing for some of the biggest car mags in Australia, including Fast Fours & Rotaries, High Performance Imports, Hot4s, and Zoom Magazine under Express Media Group.

In 2011, I took my love of cars and storytelling further by working with Motive DVD, and by 2012, I’d made my way into film, learning the trade of big-budget productions. The following year, I got more hands-on with product packages at Powertune Australia, working behind the scenes on some incredible builds. But in 2014, I took a leap and started my own brand—Level UP Apparel—with a vision to design clothing that resonated with the car culture I grew up in.

Life took a bit of a responsible turn for me after that—I stepped into corporate sales, got married, bought a house, and welcomed a little one into the world. But now, I’m back to where it all started: cars. Even though I haven’t owned anything quite as cool as my old 180SX since I sold it in 2015, I’m hungry to dive back into the car scene.

That brings me to my latest video project, Need for Speed: Western Sydney Edition. This video was such a blast to create—bringing together my love for cars, film, and a bit of nostalgia for video games like Need for Speed. But I want more than just my car in the spotlight. I want to collaborate with you—whether you have a JDM beast, a cute Kei car, or even a maniacial muscle car, let’s make some epic content together.

So if you’re proud of your ride and want to see it featured in a high-energy video like this one, hit me up! I’m also always looking to collab on cool shirt designs for automotive businesses and car clubs, so if that’s your thing, let’s talk about how we can create something awesome together. Or if you just want to support what I do, head over to Level UP Apparel and grab one of our shirts!

Let’s keep this love for car culture alive and thriving—together.