TV Weekend Vibes

We ran as a support to Australian Formula 4, which meant big rigs in the paddock and Blendline TV coverage for Races 3 & 4. Sponsors on screen, racecraft on display—perfect combo.

Race 1 — Teammate Battle & Settling In

Lined up beside teammate Sam in the twin Exo Terra livery.

• Start: I took T1 apex; Sam smartly switched back to retake T2/T3.
• Response: Drafted and re-passed into T6.
• Mid-pack chess: Used faster cars to tow up to the next pack; nearly sent one into T17 but lived to fight another lap.
  Result: Solid points and momentum to build on.

Wrenching Between Races

We treated ourselves to a pit-lane garage this round—luxury! Dad jumped on the crew (legend), we fixed a parachuting rear bumper, and ticked through setup jobs. Wild how much I’ve learned since buying this car; the Excel community (Misch’s Excel Garage, Sam, fellow competitors) has been huge.

Race 2 — Draft Wars & Late Brakers

Started right side, next to fellow rookie Poole.

• Launch: Clean shifts to 2nd/3rd, defended into T1 while trying to stay in the tow.
• Action: Morrison snuck inside; I re-cleared him with exit momentum.
• Key sections: Nailed T17 exit (finally) to maximise the long straight; the headwind made the draft worth 10–15 km/h.
• Fights: Passed Gallyer cleanly with a big tow; Poole repaid with two monster sends into T6 (should’ve covered it the second time!).
  Result: Respectable finish after a seesawing battle—more points in the bag.

Race 3 — Lights, Camera, Blendline

First televised race of the season; I promptly butchered the start (wheelspin + bog), then had to go full defense into T1.

• Lap 1 chaos: Boxed behind Elliot; Jet gave me a nudge and I took a brief rally line through the grass (Excel things!).
• On air: Mixed it with Elliot and Jet through T17—made ground when others ran wide.
• Incidents: One car collected a witches hat; the headwind kept the tow mega and helped me recover a missed 3rd gear.
  Result: Clean overtakes, screens time, and forward progress again.

Race 4 — Grand Finale 🔥

Another left-side start, another average getaway (note to self: practice that!).

• Early laps: Elliot again rounded me outside T1 (two for two); I regrouped and made a clean inside move at T14–T15.
• Using pace cars: The Grunter Racing car stormed by; I used him to bridge to the next pack.
• Big moment: Heavy contact ahead between Bailey Perryman and Jacob Leng—I kept my foot in it through the unfolding drama and made positions.
• My mistake: Light understeer tap with Jacob (my bad) cracked a headlight. Noticed his driver-side mirror folded from earlier contact—played blind-spot chess to set up the next pass.
• Yellows & SC: Ducked under double-yellows correctly; Jacob redressed a Safety Car overtake. Race was ultimately red-flagged after a major incident—thankfully everyone OK.
  Result: Forward again; weekend trend intact.

Key Takeaways

• Draft is king at The Bend (with headwind): Exits from T17 and T12/13-14 make or break your lap and your passes.
• Racecraft > raw pace: Smarter positioning (switchbacks, outside momentum, blind-spot awareness) paid off more than hero lunges.
• Operational wins: Garage workflow is sharper; quick between-race fixes and alignment on comms are paying dividends.

Thanks

Huge appreciation to Exo Terra, Aqua One, API, Seaview Aquarium, KJ Built, AquaLabs—and to Dad, the crew, Misch’s Excel Garage, and the Excel paddock for the help and good racing. Also, big thanks to Blendline TV for the broadcast coverage.

Next Up

Short turnaround to Mallala for Round 4. New brakes on the to-do list, same goal: keep moving forward, keep banking points.