TOM HAYES
MOTORSPORT
By TOM HAYES THE brother duo of Traralgon’s Jack and Tom Braz are back in racing action with the start of the new Standard Saloon season. Last season, the boys both competed under the same banner of VSC Junior Standard Saloon, but this year they will be separated. Jack, 17, is moving up to the senior division, while his 15-year-old brother, Tom, will continue in the junior division. Jack has already impressed in what has been an actioned-packed start to the season. He opened his season at the Bairnsdale Speedway, where he finished fifth while sitting within close quarters of a podium position. And most recently at Wangaratta Speedway, Jack rolled his car in the first heat, before climbing back to finish fourth, with the podium finishers still in sight. “Credit to the boys we brought it back into the pits and fixed up the front end and they went back out and finished off the meeting,” Jack’s dad Robert said. Now with a little bit of senior experience under his belt, Jack has identified some differences that separates the juniors from the seniors. “There’s not much (difference), just more competitive,” he said. “They’re a lot more cleaner than juniors, more professional about how they go.” A lot of work has been done to prepare the boys for the new season, with the brothers and their dad spending countless hours in the shed. “We’re building new engines, the engine is okay – we’re just building a new one for Jack,” Robert said. “We put a whole new front (on Jack’s car) in the off season … we’ve got to do a diff (differential) change in Tom’s. “We all spend a fair bit of time out here.” Jack’s car has had a touch of blue paint, now matching his brother’s car, making them easier to identify as a family, but also saving time on re-painting when the time comes. Now that Jack has seen a glimpse of a podium, he has made it his ultimate goal to reach that very feat. “To get a podium in in my first senior season would be nice,” Jack said. “Everyone’s just so happy that (Jack has) done so well in his first two races already,” Robert added. Tom’s season gets underway on this Saturday (October 28) at the Rosedale Speedway. Due to new insurance rules around juniors, he has been unable to compete at certain speedways, along with the entire junior class. But he is set to get in the car and on the track as soon as possible, and hopefully get back to winning ways once the season begins. Jack, Tom and Robert would like to thank their sponsors Gippsland Signs, Burson Auto Parts, Gippsland Dyno Tuning, Traralgon Tyre Service, Drouin Newspower, Oliver Panel Works and AutoBarn Traralgon.
