Josh Silcock has already had an incredible rookie season in the New Zealand Rally Championship, but if things go his way at Bay of Plenty, it could be a dream come true.
Silcock has caught the attention of spectators and the rallying community with his speed in the Rally Challenge 2WD class and has been locked in a tight season-long battle with Rory Lawn.
Lawn takes a six-point lead into next week’s finale, the Rally Bay of Plenty, but Silcock is well within striking distance.
“It’s pretty exciting to be heading into the final round with a championship still to fight for,” Silcock said.
“It’s what we work towards all year, and to be in this position is pretty cool. I’m really looking forward to getting out there, enjoying the roads and giving it everything we’ve got.”
While little separates them in the standings, Lawn has managed to pip Silcock throughout the season so far, but only by the smallest margin.
A couple of which came from small mistakes Silcock made that handed the initiative back.
“I’ve always set pretty high expectations for myself; there’s been plenty of ups and downs throughout the year, and a lot of learning along the way,” Silcock explained.
“I knew we had the potential to achieve some good results, but to be fighting for a championship heading into the final round is definitely something I’m looking forward to.
“As far as the season goes, so far I’m happy how it’s gone; there’s just been one or two mistakes which have cost us some valuable points.”
Silcock will need to do slightly more than take maximum points to win the championship. While things are close, he will need Lawn to drop either power stage points or overall points to win the title.
“We’ve had a bit of a look at the points and what needs to happen, but I’m not getting too caught up in all the different scenarios,” he said.
“Pretty cool to be in a battle with Rory and Matty [co-driver Matty Sayers], who are great lads, and it’s a lot of fun trading stage times and having some banter in between.
“At the end of the day, we can only control what we do. The focus is on putting together a clean, consistent rally and getting the best result we can.
“We’ll see where everything falls at the end of the day.”
With Australia-based Irishman Richie Dalton and WRC2 driver Taylor Gill from Australia entered in the class for the final round, the title contenders could drop more points than just each other. This opens the door for Silcock to close the gap.
“With the way the points work, the other class entries could definitely have a big influence on how the championship plays out,” he explained.
“It’d be great to have some more competition in the class.
“For us, the approach doesn’t really change. We just need to focus on our own rally, stay out of trouble and make sure we’re there at the finish.”
What would being crowned champion mean this early in his career?
“It would mean a huge amount. Coming into this year, the main goal was to learn as much as possible, gain experience and keep improving with every event.
“To potentially come away with a championship in my first attempt would be pretty special.
“There’s been a lot of hard work behind the scenes and plenty of challenges along the way, so it would be a pretty rewarding way to finish the season. I’ve got some big goals for where I want to take my rallying, and winning a title would be a great step in the right direction.”
Header Image: Geoff Ridder
