Rapid Tune’s 2026 Annual Awards Night brought the network together at Crown Melbourne to recognise the people, partnerships, and achievements driving the business forward

Rapid Tune Founder and CEO Mark Rippon

It was an evening filled with well-earned celebration, highlighting outstanding individual and team performances while reflecting on another year of growth for the Rapid Tune family.
With franchisees, team members and valued partners gathered in one room, the event showcased the strong culture, shared commitment, and genuine sense of connection at the heart of the brand.
More than two decades after the first Rapid Tune workshop opened its doors in Ferntree Gully, the network that gathered at Crown Melbourne looked very different from the one that started the journey.
Bigger? Absolutely. Bolder? Without question. But Rapid Tune says what it is particularly proud of is that, as the business has grown, the culture behind it has grown stronger.
The Annual Awards brought together more than 200 members of the Rapid Tune family, special guests, suppliers, and representatives from across the Australian automotive industry for a night that highlighted just how far the network has come.
Rapid Tune says nowhere was that more obvious than when the Platinum Partners were invited to the stage. One after another they stepped forward until, quite literally, the stage was running out of room.
“The sight of so many high performing businesses standing shoulder-to-shoulder was more than an awards night photo opportunity, it represented years of ambition, teamwork, customer loyalty, and an increasingly sophisticated network of automotive business owners setting the benchmark and outperforming industry standards,” Rapid Tune Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Mark Rippon, said.

Rapid Tune Platinum Partners

“Our people are the difference”
The growth and performance results for Rapid Tune in 2026 have reportedly been outstanding, however, for Mark, the numbers are just a result of the excellence that truly lies beneath.
Speaking to the room on the night, Mark reflected on more than two decades of Rapid Tune Awards and the people he has watched grow alongside the business.
He spoke of apprentices becoming successful business owners, lifelong friendships being formed, and a network whose members have supported each other through challenges, opportunities, and extraordinary success.
His message was simple: Rapid Tune can provide the platform, the systems, and the support, but outstanding businesses are ultimately built by exceptional people.
“At Rapid Tune, we don’t sell opportunities. We invest in the right people,” Mark said.
“Rapid Tune has grown by backing people with character, work ethic, integrity, courage, and the determination to keep improving. Some have spent decades building their businesses. Others are only beginning.
“Together, we have created a culture where success is celebrated collectively.
“When we place the right opportunity in the hands of people with the right character, remarkable things happen.”

AAAA Chief Executive Officer, Stuart Charity and State Manager of the Year, Aaron Sergi

The industry was in the room
Rapid Tune’s growing standing within the automotive sector was also reflected by those who came along to celebrate.
The State Manager of the Year Award was presented by Stuart Charity, the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA) and a highly regarded leader within the Australian automotive industry, while Lesley Yates, AAAA Director of Government Relations and Advocacy and a respected and influential female voice within the industry, presented the Rapid Tune Industry Woman of the Year Award.
VACC Chief Executive Officer Peter Jones also took to the stage, alongside representatives from major automotive organisations and Rapid Tune partners including Burson Auto Parts, Repco Australia, AutoTech Group Australia, and Gulf Western Oil, among others.
Strong independent automotive businesses need strong industry relationships, and Rapid Tune says it has deliberately surrounded its network with organisations and people who share its belief in professionalism, innovation, and a stronger future for the automotive aftermarket.

AAAA Director of Government Relations & Advocacy, Lesley Yates and Rapid Tune Industry Woman of the Year, Tanya Lee

And the biggest cheers?
Among all that business success, the celebration of emerging automotive talent provided some of the night’s most memorable moments.
“It wasn’t when our largest businesses were recognised or when the multimillion-dollar awards were announced, it happened when some of the youngest members of the Rapid Tune family stepped forward and took their moment in the spotlight,” Mark said.
“Rapid Tune is a business that celebrates every team member’s success loudly and proudly.”
Edison Obon of Rapid Tune Williamstown North was named National Apprentice of the Year, earning recognition as one of the network’s brightest emerging talents.
It was an important reminder that today’s apprentice could be tomorrow’s master technician, manager, business owner, or industry leader.
National Mechanic of the Year honours went to Qurban Ali Zadeh of Rapid Tune Chadstone, recognising the technical expertise and diagnostic excellence that remain at the heart of the Rapid Tune brand.
And then, Dale Allen – owner of Rapid Tune Carrum Downs – and his team collected major national honours after an extraordinary year, before receiving the night’s ultimate recognition: Rapid Tune Shop of the Year 2026.
“It was a fitting highlight for an evening filled with achievement and another example of what happens when strong leadership, great people, and a high-performance culture come together to celebrate an industry they are so very passionate about,” Mark said.

Celebrating the beginning of the next chapter
From humble beginnings to a major automotive network spanning Victoria and Queensland, Rapid Tune says it has grown into “a substantial and influential automotive brand with a reputation, scale, and presence that commands attention.”
Those behind the business say it is investing in people, developing the next generation, strengthening relationships with industry leaders, embracing innovation, growing businesses, and setting increasingly ambitious benchmarks for what comes next.
Mark summed it up best when he looked towards the future and told the room: “watch this space, our growth journey has only just begun.”
Judging by the noise coming from the room at Crown Melbourne, it was clear to see the entire Rapid Tune network shared his vision as the Rapid Tune family celebrated their success well into the night.

To learn more about Rapid Tune, visit www.rapidtune.com.au