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Brad Harris Recounts Breakout Weekend at Phillip Island
Brad Harris entered the third round of the 2024 Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series as a race winner, but the Exclusive Switchboards Wall Racing driver can now count himself among those to have stood on the top step for overall round honours as well.
The Exclusive Switchboards Wall Racing driver showed exceptional pace from the outset, setting the second fastest time in practice and doubling down in Qualifying to earn a front row start for race one in his Honda Civic Type R FL5 TCR.
“It’s just getting used to the car, it is a lot different to the other one,” said Harris.
“I’ve had good pace since the start of the year, but it was about getting it to work as one and extracting the full lap as opposed to pieces. I was pretty at one with the car at Phillip Island.”
After a strong start, three-way contact between himself, Josh Buchan and Tony D’Alberto saw Harris handed a time penalty and demoted to ninth place at the chequered flag.
Coincidentally the reverse top 10 grid for race two saw Harris back on the front row, alongside teammate and brother Will Harris. After a strong launch, it was Brad Harris who took the lead on lap one and led from lights to flag for his second career victory in TCR Australia.
“It was good to start off the front, even though you know it’s not where you should be with the pace we had. A bit of a consolation after the penalty. I knew if we got a good start the car was a jet.
“The only thing I’m still learning is actually the start procedure, it’s so complicated compared to the old one and even the other cars, there’s so many things to get right.”
The weekend’s final race saw Harris launch from second place, but the eventual race winner had to fight his way past Clay Richards before he could stretch his advantage out the front. Going on to win by 1.5 seconds, Harris secured his first overall round win in TCR Australia and vaulted himself to seventh in the Drivers’ Standings.
“It was like going back to the last race at Tassie, everyone’s got the red mist and the racing was pretty crazy again. I knew I had the speed on Clay, when I had the chance to get on the inside, I was able to get the move done.
“You’ve got to set yourself up and do it early before the tyres go off. Unless you have a huge advantage it’s difficult once the tyres start to wear.”
Round four of the season sees the field head to Shell V-Power Motorsport Park for the first time since 2019, and for the first time on the West Circuit layout. By virtue of his success at Phillip Island, Harris will carry a 40KG success ballast into the weekend.
“I think the Honda should suit all the tracks still to come this year, the mid to high-speed corners are quite good and it’s got the legs in a straight line. I haven’t driven at Tailem Bend before, but I don’t think that’ll be as much of an issue now that we’re running the West layout. It’s a bit shorter and simpler, not as many areas to learn as the longer course.
“Just got to keep doing the best we can and we’ll see where we are at the end,” concluded Harris.