This weekend we are getting ready to race ‘at home’ once again in Queensland, this time at Queensland Raceway for the Ipswich 440 across August 21-23.
It is always good to race in our home state, and while this will only be our second Supercars event at Queensland Raceway, we certainly have plenty of history just next door at Willowbank Raceway from our Top Fuel days. There are a lot of great memories for us there, and hopefully we can draw on some of that Queensland success this weekend – provided I remember not to turn left off Champions Way by mistake!
This weekend also marks the final round of the Sprint Cup. We aren’t in the hunt for the silverware, but that doesn’t change our approach. We have been building some positive momentum and showing encouraging signs, and the goal this weekend is to make sure that continues.
Queensland Raceway might look straightforward on paper with only six corners, but it is a short, fast and deceptively technical circuit. There are plenty of passing opportunities, but getting the most out of a lap requires consistency, strong exit speed, and a car that gives the driver confidence. Precision and flow will be very important, particularly when the margins in Supercars are as tight as they are.
For Declan and Jayden, the focus will be on putting together complete sessions and maximising every opportunity. We have seen encouraging progress from both as the season has developed, and we want to keep building on that across qualifying and the races this weekend.
It is also going to be a busy weekend for our enduro co-drivers, with both Nash Morris and David Russell racing at QR alongside us. DRuss will be competing in Porsche Carrera Cup Australia, while Nash will be behind the wheel in Trans Am, so both will be getting plenty of valuable laps before their attention turns fully towards their Supercars enduro duties.
In fact, this race weekend is only the start of a full week at Queensland Raceway for us. We arrive on Thursday and won’t leave until the following Wednesday. After the Ipswich 440 wraps up, Monday will be about servicing and preparing the cars before our enduro test on Tuesday, where Nash and DRuss will get behind the wheel. Then on Wednesday we have our annual Queensland corporate ride day, which will give all four drivers some additional seat time ahead of the enduros.
That makes this an important period for the whole team. While our immediate focus is absolutely on performing this weekend, we also have a valuable opportunity over the days that follow to continue developing the cars, give our co-drivers meaningful preparation and make sure the entire group is working together ahead of the endurance races.
I have had a little bit of racing preparation myself, having just spent the weekend competing in the two-day Sandown Showdown as part of a four-driver team. Declan and I were joined by Apex Hunters United co-host Elliot Barbour and my son, Christopher Xiberras, which made it a particularly enjoyable weekend. At the end of Saturday we were second in class and fourth outright, before a couple of issues on Sunday saw us finish fourth in class and sixth overall. Despite the challenges on the second day, it was a great experience for all of us and, as I have said before, getting behind the wheel myself always gives me another perspective on what our drivers experience.
Jayden was getting some racing in as well, although virtually, teaming up with his engineer Gilly for the Virtual Bathurst 100. Gilly put it on pole on Saturday and they spent plenty of the race right up the pointy end before, let’s just say, Gilly tried a little too hard near the end! They eventually came home in seventh.
Now the attention turns firmly to Queensland Raceway. We know there is still plenty of work ahead of us and nobody within this team is getting carried away, but there are encouraging signs and we want to keep moving forward. A strong, consistent weekend at our home round would be a good way to close out the Sprint Cup and launch into an important few days of enduro preparation.
Let’s go racing!
Peter Xiberras
PremiAir Racing Team Owner
For updates throughout the Ipswich 440, make sure you keep an eye on the PremiAir Racing Race Hub, which will be updated across the race weekend with the latest from Queensland Raceway: https://premiairracing.com/supercars/round9/