Stuart Herne

Inducted 2025

The name Stuart “The Hitman” Herne was synonymous with V8 Dirt Modified racing in Australia, claiming a national Hot Rod title in 1996, before the formation of Dirt Modifieds Australia where he went on to claim another five national titles between 1996 and 2002.

Known from the outset for his no-nonsense approach to racing, no one ever expected Stuart to be polite on the racetrack, winning multiple races in Street Saloons across Northern NSW, before switching to the V8 powered Hot Rods, claiming Rookie of the Year honours in 1991, before winning the first of many Lismore Track Championship in 1992.

1999 was a standout year for the Hitman, where he held the Australian, Queensland and NSW Dirt Modified titles, and the ASRA title, however his crowning glory was defeating American stars Tim Fuller and Bob McCreadie at Lismore in 2005.

It was just 3 years later however that tragedy struck, and while waiting for a brand new Dirt Modified from America, Stuart suffered spinal injuries in an off road buggy event, signalling a premature end to his racing career.

However, the Herne legacy lives on, with Stuart and Karen’s children Bianca, Natasha and Nathan filling the family trophy cabinet across karting and other categories including Nathan’s dual Trans Am National Titles.