Wow you are trying to re-engineer your crumple zone.
I would keep your vehicle softer in the back, let it crumple to the hard points.
I have always found it best to tear or cut strips to use as peel ply. Big pieces tend to wrinkle. The trick that I have found is to work only on the top side. Let gravity hold the layers together. Never had much luck trying to hold pieces up.
A bike and fairing I built and raced:
In the end I felt that the fairing was too long for maximum efficiency.