Tickford boss identifies next target

Tickford Racing CEO Simon Brookhouse wants his team to be the leading Ford squad, as the Campbellfield team continues to climb the championship ladder.

Cam Waters and Thomas Randle finished both Townsville races in the top five, with Waters first and second in the two 250km marathons. Waters moved back to fourth in the drivers' standings, with Randle just 40 points from sixth.

It was the first time Tickford topped the round points in 2024, with the team getting both cars in the top 10 in both races for just the second time after Perth in April.

Critically, Tickford arrives in Sydney just five points behind Walkinshaw Andretti United, which has been the lead Ford team since Perth.

It has been a rollercoaster season for Tickford, which left the first two rounds seventh overall, before dropping to eighth in New Zealand. Tickford powered to third in Perth behind WAU, before dropping back to fifth in Darwin, which Waters said led to some "searching."

Critically, having both drivers in the fight in Townsville was key to Tickford’s surge up the ladder, with Brookhouse’s team now within striking distance of WAU.

“A great weekend. It's a testament to the team, a lot of hard work. And I think the most pleasing thing is the consistency of both cars,” Brookhouse told the Schick Cool Down Lap podcast.

"Thomas was quick all weekend too, probably didn't get the results he deserved. If he had got past Chaz, we think he might have gone on and finished much higher up than he did. But, you know, that's racing. Chaz did a great job to keep him out.

"So, I think that we can build on this and just look forward to the next few rounds."

Tickford has finished second in the teams’ championship seven times (2006, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015), and third six times in a row between 2017 and 2022.

Triple Eight has been the runaway leader since Bathurst, and enjoys a staggering 851-point lead over nearest rival WAU. Penrite Racing led the Ford stakes in the first three rounds, before troubled rounds in Perth and Darwin paved the way for WAU.

Heading to Sydney, WAU, Tickford and Penrite Racing are covered by 117 points, with Dick Johnson Racing 120 points behind the Grove squad. All told, four of the five Ford teams are in the top five in the standings.

The standings will be a major talking point as the season nears the enduros, where pit position is crucial for strategy.

Triple Eight still remains the team to chase, and when asked how determined he is to be top Ford team, Brookhouse replied: “Yeah, absolutely. I mean, we've got to chase down Triple Eight though, don't we?

"We've got to get past Walkinshaw first and then get Triple Eight at the end of the year. So, that's our plan and we'll just keep plugging away and doing the best we can.”

Supercars action at the Panasonic Air Conditioning Sydney SuperNight will get underway with Practice at 5:00pm AEST on Friday.