Miss Monique Vajda, a 4th year apprentice from Chisholm TAFE in Frankston couldn't believe her luck when she received a call from Sidchrome informing her she was the winner of the ‘Sidchrome Tradie of the Year – Win a Day with Bray Promotion’.

Monique spent the week-end with Team Bray at the recent Westernationals held at the Perth Motorplex in WA. She arrived at the Motorplex at 10.30am on the Saturday was decked out in Team Bray uniform and given tour of the venue. Team principal Victor Bray very quickly realised that this young girl had great knowledge, very enthusiastic, a great passion for cars and the sport of drag racing. So she was promptly shown the Sidchrome tools and put to work under the guidance the crew chief. Miss Monique Vajda, a 4th year apprentice from Chisholm TAFE in Frankston couldn't believe her luck when she received a call from Sidchrome informing her she was the winner of the ‘Sidchrome Tradie of the Year – Win a Day with Bray Promotion’.

Monique spent the week-end with Team Bray at the recent Westernationals held at the Perth Motorplex in WA. She arrived at the Motorplex at 10.30am on the Saturday was decked out in Team Bray uniform and given tour of the venue. Team principal Victor Bray very quickly realised that this young girl had great knowledge, very enthusiastic, a great passion for cars and the sport of drag racing. So she was promptly shown the Sidchrome tools and put to work under the guidance the crew chief.

“When we start a new crew member on our team it takes them a couple of meets to find their feet, Monique had done that by the time we went out for our first qualifying season. She worked non-stop from start to finish and was very active in the turn around servicing of the cars between rounds.

During the team’s debrief after the event the general consensus amongst the crew was to invite her back to be part of the Team Bray crew for the season ending Castrol Edge Winternationls. Someone like Monique would be an asset to any workshop or race team” Victor said.

Monique said “Spending a weekend with one of the most well known  Doorslammer teams is absolutely incredible, words will never be able to explain how much fun it really is working with people like this. Victor and Ben Bray and Matt Abel are just awesome people to meet and the rest of the crew are fantastic. The cars are mind blowing and to be able to be that close and actually being able to work on them is awesome. Team Bray is a great bunch of people to get to know and they really know how to work as a team when times get hectic. The work they push out in those small time frames in-between stages is incredible and the knowledge that they shared with me was excellent.

Being just a few meters from the cars when they are staging is absolutely unreal. My ears are still ringing a couple of days later. I really couldn’t have asked for a better weekend with the Bray crew. I enjoyed my time over in Perth so much that I just can't stop thinking about it. It was truly the best experience that I have ever had, all thanks to Team Bray”.


Miss Monique Vajda quick facts:-

•    Currently enrolled in an advanced engine management course.
•    Chisholm TAFE have used her face on all their brochures.
•    Won the 2005 Australian Vocational Student prize presented by the Australian Government.
•    Drives a 1965 65 Chev Impala.
•    Favourite radio station: 101.9 fox FM.   
•    Favourite magazine: Street Machine & Dragster Australia.