Over the weekend the MTAQ Racing Team again hit the track for the fourth round of this year’s Queensland championships for Excels – and I am happy to report it was our most successful race meeting so far!

In the weeks leading up, things were a bit frantic for the team with some routine checks and upgrades revealing a major engine issue that required significant attention. But as is our style we put in the hard work and late nights to ensure our car was as good as we could make it for the battle ahead. As the championship season reaches its crescendo the level of competitiveness is just skyrocketing, doubling that with our national championships on the horizon everyone is pushing hard to find gains.

Our weekend didn’t start overly flash, with an engine setting problem robbing us of some engine power for saturday morning’s all important qualifying session – unfortunately we could only set a time good enough for 11th, and a fair way off pole position. We only had about two hours between qualifying and race one to rectify, and with some overnight rain on friday night, it altered the track condition considerably making it even harder for everyone! Even though starting 11th, we had three races over the weekend to work our way forward.

We commenced our charge in race one, getting to fifth (battling for fourth) as the chequered flag waved.  We were the second fastest car in the race, which gave us great confidence for Sunday’s two races that we had the car to get to the front. A few more tweaks and we would be ready to set sail for the leaders.

Race two went to plan, with us making a terrific start to be third by lap two. Even by that early stage, the two lead cars had opened up quite a gap which we then had to run down. With a bit of clear track, we were able to set the fastest lap of the race (and fastest of the entire weekend) in our pursuit, landing on the bumper of the second place car by half distance. With the front three cars very, very evenly matched – we couldn’t find a way past without doing something silly and had to settle for third.

Race three was our feature race of the weekend, a double distance decider for the meeting honours, and we picked up where race two left off, with us in a fierce battle for second place that raged for the duration. The front two cars were again very evenly matched on lap time with our car, making passing hard. I had a few big dives but ended up being boxed in behind the second place car for most of the race, finally sneaking past with two laps to go as tyres faded. By then the leader had a small gap that we couldn’t make up – coming home a strong second. We once again posted the fastest lap of the race once we got a bit of clear track, which was a nice reward.

Starting 11th, we were always going to be up against it – but a fifth, third and second – plus two points for fastest race laps, was more than enough to earn us a podium (third place) overall for the weekend, and – finally – our first trophy for the MTAQ Racing collection!  The lap time we did in race two would have been good enough for Pole position on Saturday, and if we had started the weekend on pole, who knows what we could have done. But still, the points haul from the weekend has moved us up to sixth in the championship, up from eighth. Even though we can’t win the championship from here, it would be nice to come home in the top five.

The team worked incredibly hard over the weekend to make the car as good as it was. We were the last excel team to leave the track both Friday and Saturday nights, and the first to arrive. Our continual improvement and ‘never give up’ attitude has earned us tremendous respect from our peers, which is the ultimate compliment when your competition recognise your level of effort. We are a small team by comparison to others, but we are rarely outworked and our effort is starting to really show in our results.

Considering those top two cars we were locked in combat with over the weekend are out of a workshop that goes Excel racing as a full-time business, we are punching well above our weight. I am very, very proud.

We are now looking forward to the final state championship round of the year in early November, which for us is basically a full dress rehearsal for the big dance – the Excel Australian Championship event, in late November. Given our recent run, we can go there with some confidence.

Thank you again,

David Wood, MTAQ Racing Team Driver.