We have officially reached the halfway point of the Tasman Racing League Formula Series season, with Tuesday nights short-track spectacular from USA International Speedway being the fifth of the ten-race calendar. Although the drivers will still be in action next week for the non-points-paying Mid-Season Classic at the Nürburgring, the midseason break offers the perfect chance to reflect on what has been a season of new heights for the Formula Series. Fifteen and twenty car grids have become the norm, and live stewarding and commentary have begun to enhance the series, but the biggest change is the not-so-new name at the top of the standings.

After taking Tasman Racing league by storm in Season 3, crowning himself a double Road and Oval series champion, Valhalla Racing's David Webb has set his sights on the Formula Series. Although Webb's unmatched consistency in the Road and Oval series likely made him the preseason favorite, on paper it looked like a tight championship battle with reigning champion and fellow Valhalla driver Drew Collins, as well as former champion Matthew Serle, expected to make it difficult for the double champion. After half a season, though, "The Dark Webb" has jumped out to a healthy 77-point lead over Collins as he looks to prove he can win at the highest level in any car.

In the past, Webb has proven just as likely to get a great result through racecraft and strategy as pure pace. In the IL-15, however, he has seemingly unlocked another gear of speed for himself- a development which should terrify his competitors. Indeed, after Serle fired a shot across the bow with a dominant season-opening Nashville win, Webb responded with a broadside of four in a row, winning on a conventional road course, a large oval, a street course, and a short track. Even worse for his rivals, Webb's trademark precision has gone nowhere, with the Australian still finishing inside the top five in his lone race so far that didn't end in victory lane.

It's not just Webb doing damage for Valhalla though, as his teammates have done far more than just contribute to this seasons record grids. Collins would be well on his way to a successful championship defense in virtually any other season, and he faces an uphill battle but remains well in the fight to defend his title. Looming very large indeed now is the penalty Collins received for a mistake that caused a major accident late at Indianapolis in Round 3. Collins won the race on track, which would have given him his first win of the season and a huge haul of points to go with. Instead, he was classified eleventh, while the driver promoted to P1 was none other than Webb. Indianapolis was therefore an 85-point swing in the championship fight, and could well go down as the defining moment of this Valhalla Blue/Yellow/Gray War.

Behind those two, Jeremey Newton has so far essentially repeated his Season 3 campaign when he finished third in the standings, with statistics projected to be virtually identical to a season ago. Although he sits 90 points back of Collins and 165 from Webb, Newton has been one of TRL's most consistent drivers for his entire career, so he should be well-positioned to take advantage of any misfortune for his teammates. As of today, Newton is likely more concerned about the gap behind than ahead, though, as TRL's newest star rookie John Butler sits just five points behind him. Another 70-odd points back of Butler, Serle's extremely strong part-time effort leads a chaotic upper-midfield battle including the likes of Jack Tovey, Nicholas Heath, Daniel Hutchins, and Aston Culf all vying for the final prestigious spot in the top five at seasons end.

Points-paying Formula Series action will return in two weeks time, with Road Atlanta, Charlotte, Adelaide, Iowa, and Mount Panorama making up the back half of the schedule. To stay up to date on the latest news and to get involved yourself, make sure to join the Tasman Racing League discord server here: https://discord.gg/vJwwMbZ7kD