Race Day Rituals & Napier Preview | Unfunded EP38

This episode is sponsored by Official Beer Co.

Produced by Podfire.

Racing is officially back.

With Napier kicking off the Oceania season, Lockie and Lleyton break down the course, the stacked start lists, and what it means to see names like Hayden Wilde back on the line. But before that, they dive deep into race day rituals — from process goals and psychological cues to rice pudding, black socks, same jocks since age ten, Red Bulls in transition, and even Fortnite before Junior Worlds.

Lockie explains his headphones-in, don’t-talk-to-me race bubble, while Lleyton takes a more go-with-the-flow approach. The boys compare morning vs twilight racing, discuss how pros mentally prepare, and share some of the wildest superstitions sent in by listeners (and a couple of world-class triathletes). They wrap it up with a full Napier preview — course breakdown, wind factors, key contenders in both the men’s and women’s fields — plus a discussion on the increased World Series prize money in Abu Dhabi and what it means for the future of short course racing.

Season’s back. Let’s go.