A fairytale victory at Queensland Raceway last weekend brought more than just a trophy for Jeremiah Edwards. Behind the smile on the podium, there was a flood of emotions he had been keeping tightly under wraps.
Edwards, the brains behind the #888 garage, admitted this season has been a rollercoaster ride. From the pressure and self-doubt that comes with poor results, to the embarrassment of the now-infamous restrictor saga, it all came pouring out as he stood on the podium, with the crowd chanting his name.
“It’s emotional,” Edwards told Speedcafe. “It might sound like an overreaction for one little race at QR, but it’s been a difficult journey this year. There’s been a lot of scrutiny and a lot of self-scrutinyg This weekend the pressure was as high as it could have been. There are no excuses, and to come away with a couple of podiums is a huge relief.”
“It brings up a lot of emotions that we’ve been kind of suppressing or holding in, with all the dramas we’ve had.”
The deal Triple Eight struck with Supercars over the controversial restrictor was indeed in the spotlight. However, Edwards felt embarrassed that the team didn't spot the issue earlier. “I felt embarrassed that we, as a team, didn’t find it earlier. It’s on us, it’s on me personally. As a team, we missed it,” he admitted.
Despite that, Edwards didn't dwell on regret. “I didn’t really spend much time on it because I was putting all my energy into going forward.”
The restrictor story dominated the build-up to Ipswich and piled immense pressure on the driver and team. But it also freed Edwards from the all-consuming search for answers. “This weekend is not about the fact the restrictor came off and we won. It’s just not worth that amount of time,” he said.
“You can do the simulations and work it out at each track, but when you feel like you’re down, you feel like you have to over-extend just to get to the competition. It’s demoralising to be operating with one hand behind your back and carrying the weight that there’s something wrong that we’re doing that we can’t find.”
Triple Eight had made a desperate decision to move Will Brown into the spare car after Perth, a decision born out of desperation rather than science. Edwards believes the sudden turnaround is the result of “lots of things that are all adding up” as the team continues to develop their Mustang package.
Brown publicly thanked Edwards for never giving up on him. When Speedcafe relayed that comment, Edwards’ eyes welled up with tears. “Will is the one in the spotlight. He’s the face of it and has taken a large brunt of it. So I’m just happy for him that we could convert something this weekend,” he said.
Edwards hopes the struggles of the season will ultimately make the team better and kick-start a new, brighter chapter for Triple Eight.
Baca Juga
Will Brown mengungkap kesepakatan unik dengan Supercars untuk mendapatkan restrictor 49mm yang jadi simbol kemenangan pertamanya di Ipswich Super440.
William Brown memenangi balapan Supercars di Ipswich dengan dramatis, mengakhiri puasa kemenangan. Kostecki dan Feeney melengkapi podium.
Brodie Kostecki hampir menabrak kru Team 18 di pit lane, memicu kekhawatiran keselamatan. Stewards akan beri penalti unsafe release.
Lanjutkan dengan Google
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