2026 - A Lot to Look Forward to!

Welcome to all our long-time, loyal sponsors and supporters, and a big “Hi” to all our many new followers.

This newsletter is to update you all and let you know what we are currently focusing on in 2026, alongside our ongoing attempt to raise the much-needed funds to test and run our race car.

Sadly, the days move so fast, and the answers come so slowly. My loyal team and I have a lot of irons in the fire and really need to work hard to make our project a lot more visible and marketable in 2026.

We are still knocking on many doors worldwide to secure financial support, and we know one will eventually open.

A summary of our team's 2026 focus

Test site identified

Thanks to Tourism Queensland and our friends at Land Surveys, who did outstanding work, we now have the desired venue: the Bilpa Morea Claypan in Western Queensland. This site appears to be our best option for staging a supersonic record in the free world, given the logistics of moving the whole team and Aussie Invader 5R internationally.

Improving moving logistics

PHHGG - moving our containers to the Avalon Airshow.

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We wanted to simplify the process of moving our car and are working with a high-profile company based in Western Australia. This work will enable us to determine whether it’s feasible for them to build a 16-metre-long transport trailer we can use interstate to display our car for promotional purposes.

The trailer would be far easier than stripping the front wheels and nose cone from our car each time we want to move it. This takes time, manpower and resources and makes moves very costly.

This new trailer would mean we could display the car at many more shows, hook it up when finished, and drive away. However, there are logistical issues which we have to overcome, as this trailer would be over 16 metres long.

Aussie Invader 5R is nearly 16 metres (53 feet) long.

New nose cone development

We are also working on a new Aero Jacks / MX Aircraft-designed nose for our car, made from Chepco Holdings carbon fibre. This nose will allow us to better mount our electronics in a dust-secure bay forward of the front wheels, where data acquisition will be easier to reach, with a much tougher, lighter structure.

Rocket engine testing

The exciting news is that we plan to conduct our first tie-down rocket engine tests in WA this year. These tests will involve securing our car to two very large concrete blocks at the rear of the car and performing several performance tests. The propellant tanks and engine hardware will be mounted externally on our car for easy access to all componentry for leak testing and pressure-feed adjustments. More to follow soon.

Speaking tour with David Warby in discussion

David Warby and I are working with an international promotions company to plan a national speaking tour. The intention is for both of us to talk to audiences about the trials and tribulations of attempting feats such as setting new world land and water speed records. I am sure this would be great fun and an outstanding opportunity to showcase what these achievements would mean for Australia. These records are broken so rarely these days that it would push Australia to the forefront of science, innovation and thinking in this arena.

David Warby and I are discussing a possible speaking tour.

Honoured by the City of Joondalup

I was honoured last month to be inducted into Joondalup City’s Walk of Fame alongside many outstanding local achievers, including Olympians, leading medical pioneers, football stars, athletes, and our own F1 hero, Daniel Riccardo. It was great to be recognised for my long-time racing achievements.

A great honour to be recognised by the City of Joondalup.

Kids' book launch - No. 1 on Amazon

The launch of our children’s book, “How To Build The World’s Fastest Car”, written by long-time team member Mark Read, took place just before Christmas. It has been well-received and has been submitted for WA’s Premier’s Prize in the children’s book category for 2026.

#1 best-seller on Amazon in Children's Motor Sports.

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Mark had the idea for this book after we went to the Avalon Airshow in early 2025. We had 8,000 students through the airshow, and Mark produced some STEM posters. The students loved the car and the poster information, so the idea was expanded to produce a book. Click on the image for a larger version.

One of the posters from the Avalon Airshow

This book focuses on the science and engineering behind the car, explaining it in simple terms for kids aged 7–12. Learn more by playing the video below.

Play the book's promotional video

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Clint Davis created some fantastic, new CAD drawings for the book.​ Below are just a few of the book's great images. Click on images for a larger version.

The book includes QR codes for further reading that link to our website. These can be scanned to provide more detail on some of the words and terms we use. It also includes a QR code for an interactive quiz for kids to test themselves after they have read it and see what they have learnt. Why not take the 30-question multiple-choice quiz and see what you know about our project? This book would make an ideal gift for any budding race car enthusiast, rocket scientist or engineer. Click on the buttons below.

In summary

We never thought it would take this long to get our car to the start line, but the team and I are determined to prove the doubters wrong and make sure this car turns a wheel in anger.

All the very best to all our supporters, sponsors and friends, and have a fantastic 2026.

Rosco, Cheryl and the Aussie Invader Team.