Hey everyone,
With the Bathurst 1000 just around the corner, I wanted to fill you in on how things went at Sandown.
Motorsport truly embodies the phrase "the highs are high, and the lows are low." As a team, we’ve faced challenges with the new series cars. Last year, we consistently performed at a high level, building momentum through multiple races that helped me find my footing as a driver. Unfortunately, after a tough first race in Townsville with a blown gearbox and a tyre puncture, things shifted dramatically. However, we did have some highlights, like moving up through the field and finishing 6th in Sydney, which gave us hope.
At Sandown, we came off three practice days where we made huge improvements, and expectations were high. In practice, we demonstrated our pace, being 2-4 tenths of pole position. However, qualifying was challenging due to heavy rain, and despite my usual strength in those conditions, we struggled with rear tyre temperature. I was on a flyer in my last lap, a second up in the first sector, but then the session got red-flagged, leaving us in P18.
In Race 1, we made up about ten positions, securing a spot on the sixth row for Race 2. I quickly climbed to 7th but was caught in an accident that forced me to rejoin the field at the back. In Race 3, we moved up again but suffered a setback from contact, leading to bent steering and a finish in the pits.
In summary, we faced some tough luck—an unfortunate reality of motorsport. As Anthony from Attachment Warehouse reminded me, "the winner isn’t always the fastest; it’s the one who refuses to lose." Giving up is not an option for us. Despite the challenges, we’ve showcased good pace and race-craft, and I’m grateful for my dedicated team and incredible sponsors who continue to support me.
I’m feeling good heading into Bathurst and the Gold Coast. Bathurst is my favourite track – I’ve only raced there once, but we made it to the front row last year in this same series. I’ve never raced at the Gold Coast, but it’s a home round for us, and street circuits are always fun.
Huge thank you to my sponsors; Attachment Warehouse, Auger Torque, Flowrite, BA Equipment, and a shoutout to Adam from Chef Supply Co for joining us at the Melbourne round. You guys make this possible, and I’m ready to make you all proud in the upcoming rounds. And of course, a special thank you to my Dad, Steve Westbury, for being my rock, and my Mum and Sister for their love & support. Anthony, you’re a legend.
I’ll update you after Bathurst!
Cheers,
Jack Westbury
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