ONE of Alex Inwood’s earliest memories is being held on his father’s shoulders at the Bathurst 1000.
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Motor sport and Mr Inwood, who was born and bred in the shadow of Mount Panorama, was a match made in heaven.
“I remember mum telling me off for reading magazines on holiday car trips,” he said.
“She would be like, ‘Why don’t you look out the window’.
“I grew up reading V8 magazines and I remember painting my BMX bike red and writing Mark Skaife's name on it.”
Mr Inwood was educated at Holy Family Primary School at Kelso before graduating from St Stanislaus’ College in 2005.
The nation’s capital was his next education step, as he pursued a degree in international relations at the Australian National University.
But the decision didn’t feel right for Mr Inwood.
“It wasn’t ticking the right boxes. It wasn’t what I wanted,” he said.
“I looked at who had the best job and I thought Jeremy Clarkson had it.”
He dropped out of his course in Canberra and made a return to Bathurst to study journalism at Charles Sturt University.
During his time at university, he spent time working at 2MCE FM Bathurst on-campus.
Following his graduation, Mr Inwood joined Bauer Trader Media’s motor sport bible, Auto Auction, in 2010.
He quickly rose through the ranks to become deputy of the motor sport publication before joining Wheels in Sydney in 2013 as a digital producer.
Mr Inwood moved, with the magazine, south to Melbourne, where he became a senior journalist and, more recently, deputy editor.
Since October 2016, he had been acting editor of Wheels, before being announced as the editor in early March.
“It’s a bit more responsibility,” he said.
“It’s the oldest motoring brand in Australia, beginning in 1953. We have some of the best reputation for motor sport journalism in the world.
“Since its launch in 1953, Wheels has become a household name in Australia. It has a reputation for delivering frank, fearless and entertaining journalism.
“Our print is going strong and we have experienced strong gains for our digital team. It’s an exciting time for Wheels.
“We have some of the best social engagement in Australia.”
While motor sport is Mr Inwood’s main passion, he is an all-round sport lover.
“I have a strong passion for F1 [Formula One] and I speak to the likes of Mark Webber and Daniel Ricciardo,” he said.
“I have respect for the Moto GP athletes, but the four wheels is where it is at for me.
“I played cricket and soccer growing up and captaining the Stannies XI cricket side was a great moment.
“I currently play touch footy and I’m a keen supporter of the [NSW] Waratahs.”
Bauer Trader Media CEO Keith Falconer said Mr Inwood was taking charge of the Wheels brand at an important time in the company’s evolution.
“Alex has been a valued member of the Bauer Trader Media team since joining the company in 2010 and has been part of our rapid transformation from specialist magazine publisher to a multi-media brand in recent years,” he said.
“In many ways, Alex is the modern face of Wheels; he’s grown up reading the magazine and understands the print product intimately.
“He’s also a digital native and is passionate about building the brand’s position as Australia’s premier motoring destination by engaging with a new generation of readers in different ways.
“Wheels is without question the editorial flagship of our motoring brands and Alex will play a pivotal role in helping to drive our business forward.”