Almodelling

And here we are.

After weeks of designing, scratchbuilding, painting, weathering, wiring and slowly bringing this little corner of Lothal to life, The Podracer Project is finally complete.

For this build, I wanted to imagine something that could exist somewhere beyond the stories we already know, a small piece of worldbuilding built around a podracer and the people behind it.

In the years following the fall of the Empire, Lothal is rebuilding.

Old Imperial machinery and factories have been salvaged, workshops have reopened, local businesses are finding their feet again… and somewhere among all of that, a small racing team has decided to build a podracer.

Meet Vekri Team 15.

They proudly call themselves Lothal’s Racing Team, whether the rest of Lothal has officially agreed to that title or not… which usually depends on the results of the latest race.

They don’t have the biggest budget, the cleanest workshop or the most sophisticated machine on the circuit. Their pod has been built from salvaged parts, improvised engineering and whatever the team could get their hands on.

Most of their sponsors are local businesses rebuilding alongside them: Jalath Reclamation Yard, Karabast Hydroponics, E-272 Relay System, Old Jho’s Pub and Sumar Field Cooperative. Even the better-known Dug Motor Sport has decided to lend a little support.

The machine might not be the most elegant, and it certainly isn’t pristine, but every panel, repair and modification tells part of its story.

For the diorama, I wanted the podracer itself to remain the main focus, while the surrounding scene suggests the small team living and working around it: the pilot, the mechanic, pit droids, sponsor crates… and a few Loth-cats causing more trouble than they should.

The podracer was built in 1:35 scale, with the cockpit and engines fully scratchbuilt and detailed through kitbashing. I also created custom sponsor decals and integrated lighting for the engines and energy coupler. The characters and props were resin printed.

This was my first full scratchbuild project, and the contest gave me a great opportunity to experiment, sketch new ideas and try to bring this little piece of Lothal to life. High-resolution images are available here if you want to dive deeper into the details of the build: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Rej-dYnUsHvu-imaeccC47DdYEHkirX1?usp=sharing

Thank you to everyone who followed the project, commented and shared their thoughts along the way. It was also a great opportunity to discover so many other amazing creators and builds.

I wish everyone the best for what comes next ;)

And with that, Vekri Team 15 is ready to race.