Rotorua's Sloan Cox on his way to a course record at the Leadfoot Festival hill climb in Hahei. Photo / Thomas Falconer, Art of Passion
Rotorua's Sloan Cox on his way to a course record at the Leadfoot Festival hill climb in Hahei. Photo / Thomas Falconer, Art of Passion
Rotorua rally driver Sloan Cox had one hand on the trophy during the Leadfoot Festival hillclimb at the weekend. However, the final top 10 shootout did not quite go to plan.
The Leadfoot Festival hillclimb title has been nothing short of elusive for Rotorua's Sloan Cox.
For three years hefinished second to British driver Alister McRae but at the weekend the 28-year-old headed to Hahei confident the work he and his team had done on his 2004 Evo 8 Hillclimb Special, along with the experience he had gained as a driver, would be enough to get the job done.
In a way, he was right. On Sunday, in his second qualifying run, Cox beat the all time course record with a 47.86 second run.
However, the way the competition works is the drivers with the top 10 times after three qualifying rounds participate in a final top 10 shootout. The fastest in the shootout is crowned the winner.
In the shootout, disaster struck. Cox picked the wrong line and collected one of the hay bails lining the track, ending his run prematurely. His course record in the qualifying rounds was not beaten.
He was proud to leave the event with the record but said his desire for the win burns more fiercely than ever.
"We're definitely taking some big positives away from the weekend. We're exactly where we want to be with the car, but couldn't quite finish it off as we wanted. To get the fastest time of the weekend was an awesome feeling but you still need to get that last run for victory.
"In terms of placing it's the worst I've been but in terms of speed, it's the best we've ever been. The car is feeling easier to drive, we were below the 50 second time from the first round and stayed there. We've never been that quick out of the blocks and actually stayed there."
He said rally was a sport in which drivers pushed themselves and their cars to the limit so crashes were inevitable. Even Rod Millen, who owns the Hahei property on which the event is held, crashed out of his race at the weekend and he knows the course better than anyone.
"It's motor racing and that's what we go there for, to push the limits. There's more desire now than ever - we've never been the top car, we've always had to think after an event 'how can we go faster?'. This time it will just be keep it the same and maybe develop the car and go back and be more dominant.
Rotorua rally driver Sloan Cox at the Leadfoot Festival in Hahei. Photo / Thomas Falconer, Art of Passion
"After setting the record we noticed the engine was smoking a little bit so we knew we might have a problem - I think we've cracked one of the cylinders in the motor. We knew we could hold the car together for the final shootout so we chose to miss the third qualifying run because I was already through.
"In that last run, I just skimmed a hay bail but it was enough to grab the front of the car and turn me around. It did a little bit of damage but it could have been a lot worse. Once I clicked what had happened I did think 'bugger, that's everything gone now' so it was frustration as well."
Cox and his team will now turn their focus to repairing the car in time for the Ben Nevis Station Golden 1200 Hill Climb near Queenstown in a month's time. The new event is hosted by New Zealand rally legend Hayden Paddon.
"We've got to assess the damage but we think it will be fixable pretty quick then decide whether we head to the South Island for another hill climb - a gravel one this time and a bit longer.
"We know we've got a good car so we've just got to make sure there's nothing silly we've missed. Being a new event we're not sure what to expect, some top cars are coming, but as always I'll look to win or make the podium.
"We don't go to anything to take it easy, obviously Hayden Paddon will be there and knows the road already but we won't let that scare us."
