Randle: Teams' championship a 'realistic' goal for Tickford

Teams' title win for Tickford a "realistic" goal, says Thomas Randle
Tickford has never won the teams' title; has finished second seven times
Randle and Cam Waters closed out 2023 in fine form

Thomas Randle says a maiden teams’ championship victory for Tickford Racing is a “realistic” goal in 2024.

Randle and Cam Waters will lead Tickford into a new era this year, with the team downscaling to two cars and welcoming a new leader.

Tim Edwards, who headed up the team for nearly 20 years, departed Tickford at the end of 2023 and joined Supercars as its new General Manager of Motorsport.

While Tickford has yet to lock in a new boss, the in-form duo of Waters and Randle are set to push the team forward into its next chapter.

Waters won two of the final four races of the year, with Randle adding to his Bend podiums and pole with another trophy in Adelaide.

In the final two rounds of the season, only Waters, David Reynolds and champion Brodie Kostecki scored more points than 2020 Super2 champion Randle.

“I’d like to think we can continue on the trend we’re on,” Randle told Supercars.com.

“We have all the ingredients to do well, and we’re going back to two cars. We have great people and resources to make that go as best it can.

“A drivers’ championship would be fantastic — I’d love for it to be me, don’t get me wrong, but you’ve got to be realistic, it’s so competitive, anyone can win it.

“But the teams’ championship is a realistic goal, that’s for sure. But it won’t be easy, there are so many strong teams now.

“Groves really stepped up, Erebus will be strong again, Triple Eight is strong, DJR will be interesting."

Tickford has a drivers’ title — Mark Winterbottom in 2015 — to its name, but has never won the teams’ championship.

The Campbellfield squad finished second in 2006, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015, before DJR Team Penske became the lead Ford squad from 2017.

Thanks to its strong end to ’23, Tickford leapfrogged Dick Johnson Racing to fourth in the teams’ standings, with Tickford beating DJR in the teams’ points for the first time since 2016.

Following his Adelaide win, Waters cited how it was “super important” that Randle joined him at the front as the Ford squad targets championship glory. Waters had long been Tickford's sole spearhead, before Randle became a regular of the top 10 in the second half of 2023.

Randle was excited to push his relationship with Waters to the next level, and also believes a top five result in the drivers’ championship is an "awesome" target.

"To get four podiums and a pole last year was great, but hopefully that’s just the beginning,” said Randle, who will also share a Mercedes-AMG with Waters and Craig Lowndes at next month's Repco Bathurst 12 Hour.