“Leader Messenger” – Tea Tree Gully
Wednesday 8th May 2002
Reproduced with permission from Des Ryan, Editor

‘Paul drives accountants’ image’
By Eleanor Miller

Formula Three driver Paul Trengove is a public relations dream for the accounting world.

The 23 year old Holden Hill resident, who also holds an accounting degree, owes much of his on-track success to a CPA (Certified Practicing Accountants) marketing push.

The organisation is sponsoring his racing passion to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars a year, and in return using him to counter the idea that accountants are boring.

“They’re using me to help lure younger kids in (to the profession). There’s a lot of student functions and I go to those and speak to all the kids”.

The “You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” attitude plays a large part in the highly competitive racing industry, he says.

“There’s a lot of business to it. I approached about 60 companies before being taken up by CPA. It was a lot of hard work”.

Mr Trengove started go-kart racing at the age of seven and stepped behind the wheel of his first Formula Vee a couple of years ago.

Following a number of on-track successes he soon moved up to Formula 3’s, but making the adjustment to higher powered cars took some getting used to.

“Formula Vees have 45 horse power and reach speeds of about 185 km/h but Formula 3’s are about the same size, with 200 horse power and reach speeds of 280 km/h”, he said.

“When you accelerate you get thrown back in your chair (but) when you’re driving at maximum speed you don’t really understand how fast you’re going until you hit the brakes.

Racing a Formula 3 was also quite “physically draining” and required a lot of fitness, he said.

“With the G-forces you go around a corner and it’s hard to hold your head up”.

Nonetheless, being on the track was “a real thrill” and Mr Trengove hoped to forge a career for himself on the track rather than behind the desk as an accountant.

CPA spokeswoman Cate Farquhar said her organisation was approached by hundred of sponsorship seekers each year.

It took Mr Trengove on to boost the profession’s image and help counter declining enrolments in tertiary accounting subjects, she said.

“Paul will be used at a lot of young professional events as a role model for secondary school students and tertiary students”.

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