MATT Clark realised three years ago there were no guarantees in life and instead of turning spanners for mates, he had to jump into the driver's seat before it was too late.
The sobering prospect drove the Ecklin crane driver to embark on a super rod racing career, which reached its zenith on Saturday night when he won the Victorian title at Portland's Southern 500 speedway.
The 31-year-old had finished third in his rookie season in 2008 and narrowly missed the podium last year.
"I was pretty happy," he said.
"I went out there trying to win it because I had never won it before and it was something I wanted to achieve. I spent some money and went and did it."
But just as quickly as he climbed to the top of the super rod ranks, Clark revealed his 350 Chev-powered car was now for sale.
In keeping with his outlook - that he doesn't want life to pass him by - Clark said it was time to tackle new challenges. If his car that he painstakingly built in the lead-up to his 2008 debut sells, he will walk away from the sport "for now".
If it doesn't, he will contest a few more races this season.
But after that, there's no guarantees.
Saturday night's triumph came after engine problems had plagued his season.
He survived the carnage of the heats to finish top points scorer, having won two heats and finished third in his last one after starting from the rear.
Clark raced to the lead at the start of the final and was never headed, despite a number of stoppages.
With no mirrors on super rods, Clark said he was unsure how close his rivals were in the final.
"I knew I must have been a bit in front because there was no one poking their nose under me and I couldn't hear anyone.
"At one of the stoppages I pulled up near the fence and asked a bloke in the crowd how far behind the others were.
"He said the blokes were the length of the straight from me."
But when he approached some lapped traffic having their own duel, he tried to get by "cautiously" only to see Warrnambool driver Grant Stansfield loom up on his inside.
"I pushed my way through and I never saw him again," he said.
Completing the south-west trifecta was Warrnambool's Wayne Williams who was third.
Clark said he hoped to continue his good form at Simpson on Saturday night when he contests the Trevor Podger Memorial Race.
Saturday night's action saw several rollovers, including Grassmere teenager Jemma Gale, who was taken to hospital after a bone-jarring crash in the final heat of the night.
Jemma, who spent the night in hospital, was released on Sunday suffering a sore back.
She had recorded two seconds and was eyeing a start from the first two rows when she rolled attempting to pass a slower car. She was unable to start the final from position seven.
Pre-race favourite Winchelsea's Geoff Leigh rolled in one of his heats after repairing his car. He endured another roll in the final after storming from the back of the grid to fourth in four laps.
But two laps later his night came to a crashing halt for good.
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