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WHITLEY'S V8 PODIUM DEBUT
December 2, 2019
Alexandra Whitley
photo credit: James Whitley
After wrapping up the Australian TCR season I was working on the next opportunity to go racing. I was introduced to a small team who are motorsport enthusiast and just great guys!
Within weeks to go of the first round of the NZ BNT V8 Touring car Championship it all fell into place. With the help and hard work of Richards Team Motorsport, who took me under their wing and showed me the ropes to the TLX Toyota Camry built by MRX in the Waikato. It was a baptism of fire going head first into the race meeting without even turning a wheel, but I learnt quickly, adapted fast and proved our pace early by bringing home a podium in my very first race and second overall for the weekend.
I was really looking forward to the weekend, behind the wheel of the Toyota Camry TLX, which is powered by a 5L Lexus V8 engine with 560HP! This car is what I have been working towards my whole career! It’s specially designed by Mitchell Race Xtreme and built to be driven hard and fast. I knew the weekend would be challenging, as I had just finished a season in front wheel drive and now had to re-adapt and change driving styles to suit rear wheel drive. I focused on the process with the help of Barry, the teams engineer and improved every-time I hit the track.
Practice on Friday was good, the car was incredible and the team was supportive and encouraging. We qualified 4th, setting us up for a great start to the weekend ahead.
I spent a lot time with Barry as he explained where I could find speed and understanding how the car needed to be driven to reach its full potential. Saturdays race 1 was a rolling start, which was nothing new to me, as I have done plenty of these before! I got a great start and went strait into third through the first turns. I held my position until a much faster car from another class came through and I fell back into the clutches of 4th. I pushed on and caught back up, putting the pressure on and he soon made a mistake spinning right in front of me. I got through clean and soaked up my first V8 podium for the team in 3rd place.
Sunday started out as a beautiful day, the sun was shinning and it was hot. The track reached temperatures over 50 degrees! Starting 3rd with another rolling start we were off racing, I improved once again and found myself closer to the front 2 drivers this time. Leaving 4th in the dust we crossed the line in 3rd. Another Podium for the team!
It was a long wait to our last race later that afternoon, we were the last class on the programme. The clouds started rolling in and the temperature started to drop.
This time we had a standing start, which I was also looking forward to the challenge and giving it a crack. As I sat in the car waiting to head out I practiced the process over and over. When it got time to the real thing I knew exactly what I needed to do. I was starting from the front row and needed a clean start to get an advantage. Revs up, lights out GO! I got a better jump than Andre who started on pole, when Brad split us like an axe and zoomed by the both of us! Andre dived underneath and I wasn’t quite close enough to follow him through. We started to see rain drops on our screens as we pushed on. I got run on Brad down the main strait, but Nick also had a run on me. He slipped underneath into turn 1 and now the rain was really falling. We then completed 5 or so laps under safety car conditions, before officials calling the race unsafe to complete. We didn’t race enough laps to make the race count. Which meant with my consistent podiums I finished the round in Second overall.
It was fantastic to be able to give the Richards Motorsport Team some silverware and champagne to celebrate their help, support and hard work leading up to and throughout the whole event. From transport to food and mechanics to engineers every single person played a part in this successful debut and I’m so grateful for the opportunity. I’m working hard to ensure we make it back to the next round early next year faster and more competitive than before. Besides someones got to keep the boys honest!
thanks for reading - Alexandra
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