The Sala Dynasty
- Feb 24
- 2 min read
William Sala is one of the 3rd generation of the Sala family to race cars, with their Dandenong factory the location of multiple Matich Formula 5000s, as well as a diverse variety of customer race car projects.
William recalls, “My Grandpa got into racing Darracqs and other vintage cars, later having some drives in a F5000 at hillclimbs. At 14, Dad raced the F5000 at Mt Leura Hillclimb for his motorsport debut, then later won many races in a Lotus Cortina, then getting back into the F5000 and Ford Sierra
“Grandpa suggested entering Bathurst 1000 to Dad, so he swapped two F5000s for a Ford Sierra in New Zealand. Dad raced the Sierra at Bathurst in 91 and 92, finishing 10th in 1991.
Following a stint in Auscar and Nascar we kept both the Sierra and a F5000. Us boys came along and started go karting around 14 and 15, while starting to race two 1200cc Formula Vees and three Hyundai Excels. In early 2025 I got my first chance to drive a F5000. That was pretty exhilarating, with so much power under my right foot! Definitely a dream come true.
“Driving the F5000 I was advised not to try and set a lap record, just drive to enjoy, learn and appreciate the car.
“Meanwhile I’m running an Excel in the Victorian Championships. This is my 5th year. Although I’d love to get into the F5000 whenever it’s allowed to run, even for sprints. Unfortunately, some of these cars are now in museums and collector’s garages, meaning we can’t always get full grids.
“We have three generations working in our factory, Grandpa, Dad and myself, working and helping whenever I can with general repair work, maintenance and restoration work on the Matichs and other race cars. I’m still learning. Being able to work on the cars to then race them gives me a huge understanding of how the car runs, giving me good knowledge on how to set the cars up at race tracks.
“The number of younger people in historic racing is dwindling. While racing these cars is easy for me due to their presence in my family, many younger racers lack access to historic cars. To bring more youth into the sport, I think clubs or car owners should make cars available for others to drive. It would require trust and clear boundaries on how the cars should be raced.”
This year at the Phillip Island Penrite 100 Classic, William has another opportunity to get behind the wheel of the family’s Matich A50, alongside father Bryan, racing a Lola T330/2
You can witness this incredible car in all it's glory and step back in time, at the 2026 Phillip Island Penrite 100 Classic along with over 350 incredible historic racing machines.
March 13th – 15th 2026. Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit. Tickets available on-line or at the gate. Patrons under 17 enter free, Friday is free for all.
Be There!
Learn more here.
