Victorian Matt Barton will take one step closer to his ultimate goal of becoming world champion after earning a wildcard entry into this weekend’s 2015 Pramac Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix at Phillip Island.

Matt, 19, from Ballan, 60 minutes outside of Melbourne, will compete in the Moto3 class against the best racers in the world after finishing third in the domestic national championship this year.

“It’s been years in the making,” Barton said. “It’s really pleasing and something that I’ve wanted to achieve for a long time. To be given the opportunity to mix it with the best in the world and to be considered worthy of a chance to race against these guys, it’s a pretty cool thing.

Image: Steve Thibou (Motopix).

“I’ll be looking forward to the whole show. The experience of being in the paddock and working alongside the professionals that make MotoGP what it is will be really exciting. Anyone who is in front of me I want to try and pass and I want to beat anyone that I can.

“Without the factory support, I’ll aim to be the top Australian in the class, put in the best performance for a wildcard and finish in the top 25. To get points will be the pinnacle.”

The talented teenager they call ‘The Matt-Man’ has won plenty of trophies in his fledgling career, winning the 2011 Victorian 80cc title at the Victorian Road Racing Championships.

He also claimed a close second in the 125cc MRRDA Series and was also selected by Red Bull Australia to compete at the Red Bull Rookies try-outs in Spain that same year.

In 2014, he won the Victorian Moto3 title at Broadford after miraculously returning from a broken pelvis that he sustained six months before in a freak accident.

Source: Supplied.

“From being in a position where I contemplated leaving the sport, to return to the track after months of rehab, win the final round of the ASBK and win my second state title, made me realise how much the sport meant to me,” he said.

“Then to carry that momentum and determination into the 2015 ASBK and win races, break records then be granted a wildcard at the MotoGP has been pretty amazing. Actually, the last 18 months has been a pretty amazing and emotional experience.”

Matt is excited to partner with Collingwood brand – Suus Customs – for his MotoGP adventure: “I’m really grateful for their support and for them to come on board as our major sponsor. It’s important to show a level of professionalism when putting yourself out there as a potential draft for the MotoGP. Working alongside a company as professional as Suus is helping me do that.”

You can follow Barton this weekend via his official Facebook Page www.facebook.com/mattbartonracing or follow him on Twitter or Instagram @MattBarton24 or by using the hashtag #ProjectWildcard.