Are we going to see some gamesmanship slash teamwork today? come in the next few rounds like what we saw last year also.

I think at some point there's probably more gamesmanship with everyone this year and you're probably seeing that like what we saw yesterday through some manufacturer stuff as well and people trying to look after each other.

It's funny, I don't know how it's all going to pan out towards the last ones but yeah, generally year two of any different format, everyone works out how to to try and make sure they're better than the year before.

Woody was unbelievable for me last year.

I'm still, even though it's so fresh from yesterday, I'm still so gutted for him because I know the work he puts in behind the scenes, how much he's grown as a driver in the last 18 months, and what we've been able to do with a brand new manufacturer this year.

It would have been a dream come true to get both of us to the semis.

You know, sport's a cruel thing.

Are you enjoying the final series more than you thought you might?

Are we going to see some gamesmanship slash teamwork come in the next few rounds like what we saw last year also?

I think at some point there's probably more gamesmanship with everyone this year and you're probably seeing that like what we saw yesterday through some manufacturer stuff as well and and people trying to look after each other.

It's funny.

I don't know how it's all going to pan out towards the last ones, but yeah, generally year two of any different format, everyone works out how to try and make sure they're better than the year before.

Woody was unbelievable for me last year.

I'm still, even though it's so fresh from yesterday, I'm still so gutted for him because I know the work he puts in behind the scenes, how much he's grown as a driver in the last 18 months, and And what we've been able to do with a brand new manufacturer this year would have been a dream come true to get both of us to the semis.

But, you know, sport's a cruel thing.

Are you enjoying the final series more than you thought you might?

Are we going to see some gamesmanship slash teamwork today? come in the next few rounds like what we saw last year also.

I think at some point there's probably more gamesmanship with everyone this year.

You're probably seeing that like what we saw yesterday through some manufacturer stuff as well and people trying to look after each other.

It's funny.

I don't know how it's all going to pan out towards the last ones, but yeah, generally year two of any different format, everyone works out how to to try and make sure they're better than the year before.

Woody was unbelievable for me last year.

I'm still, even though it's so fresh from yesterday, I'm still so gutted for him because I know the work he puts in behind the scenes, how much he's grown as a driver in the last 18 months, and what we've been able to do with a brand new manufacturer this year.

Are you enjoying the final series more than you thought you might?

Does the DNF make you feel like you've got to get one back at the mountain last year? Is there any additional motivation when the previous year has obviously ended on a bit of a down note?

Um, no, it doesn't feel like I am owed one at Bathurst.

You never feel like you're owed one, you know.

It's, um, it's a race you've got to earn, and you've got to be in that for 1,000-kilometer sprint race.

And, and I think you'd be pretty naive as a race car driver to think that it's all gonna be kind of given to you or, or a certainty that you're gonna be in the fight.

So, um, look, things, things happen around there.

We've seen it on so many different people's stories at different times throughout their careers, and I think that's what makes heritage of Bathurst so special because there is the, the part of the day of, of that glory of someone achieving s- and, and a team achieving something of greatness.

And how much is, uh, his achievements present when you do rock up and you see that, that Mount Panorama sign, as you were mentioning before?

Like when you see it in person for the first time, what age were you when you saw it in person for the first time? Because it's hard to explain just how steep that track is.

yeah so the first time i actually went there was uh as a 12 year old so i was racing go-karts at the time and i never thought about a career in racing or anything it was just a hobby but went there and um i was actually i remember i camped as well so uh but i was camping with all holden supporters at the time and i never never really had someone i went for any i was always in awe of the drivers but never a manufacturer so but i was a so i was camping with holden supporters so i'm like well i'm going for ford So, yeah, it was just that history and seeing people at each other, but also everyone with the same interest just really drawed you in as a fan.

And now even when you are a supercar driver and you're going there, like you get there on the Tuesday, some guys, or Wednesday, mostly Tuesdays, and you see the Mount Panorama sign, you just get this, like, goose bumpy feeling.

The history there, the amount of amazing races that have happened, the finishes, the cars that have raced around that track, and, of course, the superstar drivers that – from many, many moons ago, not when none of us are superstars now compared to the old guys that used to run around with their glove box and drive their road car to that amount of race distance and then drive it home was just insane.

So it just gives you goosebumps at the history and it could possibly happen that weekend.

We were saying yesterday on the pod, or who were we explaining it to? Maybe the guys over in the U.K., there is no no professional sport remotely close to supercars and the fact that we'll be in the we'll be in the pit with i mean not that everyone gets that level of access but there's a lot of people that push through the pits and push through your spaces um and you spend a lot of time with like putting your helmet on as you're getting in the car and then taking off for a couple of photos and jamming back on good luck getting close to anybody in any other sport no motorsport like dreaming if you're thinking motorsport and that's why i think that it's got the following and so many people love it because this is the gap between you and the and your biggest you know your biggest fans like it's crazy

yeah supercars is really unique but i think for us like um i was lucky to obviously still be in supercars through the covert part and that was a real eye-opening experience because we're going to races obviously being a um, an essential sport for, for people stuck back at home and without the fans at the track, like it was, oh, it was the most shallow, weirdest feeling and didn't, it felt like, um, it was like, felt like a race car with no fuel in it.

It was just not the event that we're after.

Who are some of those people that you look up to and take some great advice off?

Yeah, for me, meeting Johan Christoffersen was a pretty cool moment.

You know, one of the best rally drivers around the world.

And then obviously got to meet Sebastian Loeb.

You know, got towed up by him in the final year and a bit ago.

But if there's someone you're going to get towed up by in a rally car, I'm pretty glad it's him.

So, no, like those guys are awesome.

worth of,

Does it feel like that?

Nah, it nev- never feels like that because the...

I mean, from the year I started in 2013 to now, it all just feels like one continuous season.

Like, we have a month and a half off at the end of the year, and then we're straight back into pre-season training and then into, um, you know, our first test and all that kind of stuff comes around really quick as well.

So I don't know.

There wasn't lo- wasn't a lot of time to reflect on the championship last year.

Um, it's, it's kinda crazy to think that you, you've achieved what you've achieved, but just, you just always want more-

That's right.

Does it feel like that?

Nah, it nev- never feels like that because the...

I mean, from the year I started in 2013 to now, it all just feels like one continuous season.

Like, we have a month and a half off at the end of the year, and then we're straight back into pre-season training, and then into, um, you know, our first test, and all that kind of stuff comes around really quick as well.

So I don't know.

There wasn't lo- wasn't a lot of time to reflect on the championship last year.

Um, it's, it's kind of crazy to think that you, you've achieved what you've achieved, but just, you just always want more-

That's right.

It must be feeling pretty good.

Yeah, we've been pretty consistent.

But I feel for me that they're trying to probably go for trophies the last couple of rounds.

We've probably still been a little bit behind the eight ball.

So I'm really excited for Tuesday.

We don't often get many test days, but I feel like where we have been over the last three rounds, there's some opportunities for us to push a little bit more.

And especially this weekend, it's always a good opportunity where You have the first test day at SMP, try to run into the round and see if you learn stuff that.

You've been keeping Fabs honest throughout the years, saying sharp.

[laughs]

Um, I was a little bit, I was a little bit upset with, um, Kai and Brodie coming together, 'cause I was running third at the time, and I haven't seen a trophy for a little while.

So, yeah, that safety car hurt me in that.

But that was probably the highlight of my weekend.

What do you guys think makes it so special that Adelaide is where the title showdown is?

The track.

The track, flat out.

Like, the hi- the history, knowing that we have most the layout of the Formula 1s, and we know how hard that track is to drive at ten tenths around there.

Yep.

Um, Bryce is like...

He, he was like a, a really fast driver, but really liked to keep his pulse on, on the engineering side.

So, um, where I was kinda like, I didn't have a great background in engineering.

I could probably say five years ago, we, we played with this little bit of camber at this corner, and it felt a bit better or whatever.

And maybe over the last couple of years, I've probably got too involved in it, and then it probably detuned the car worse as the older you get.

But, um, Bryce, he, he really, by reading it, like, he really engineered his Development Series championship to, to where he got to, and had a lot of involvement in that.

So to now stand here in that position and say you've done that would be a pretty special thing.