Coming into this, the final round of the championship, I had a 33-point deficit to Dylan, the championship leader. I knew exactly what I had to do to close that gap - and it was something no-one had managed all year. To take the title home I would need to win every race, and pole it as well. Each race win awards 75 points, with pole worth 2. If I won every race but didn't take pole, I'd lose the championship by a single point if Dylan finished second every time. The pressure was on.
Practice and Qualifying
Despite the mammoth job in front of me, I knew what was needed and carried real confidence into the round - this was my home track. We only had a single practice session, and it came and went just like that, but it was enough for me to find the limits on home soil.
On my way into qualifying I had a plan set out, and I executed it perfectly - taking the car to pole by nearly half a second. It felt awesome to watch the first part of the plan come together exactly as we'd drawn it up.
Race 1
I carried the confidence of a pole position with me to the grid for Race 1. When I got there, though, we had a starting issue with the clutch and dropped back into the field. I tried to fight my way back toward the lead, but I made contact and got pushed back to third, before quickly working my way up to second. From there I showed my pace, battling it out with the leader, Dylan. We fought for the lead, and Zach caught right up to us. I was second coming into the last lap with Zach hard on my heels - and despite not quite having the same pace as Dylan and me, he pulled off a big move at the final corner to take second. I finished third.
Race 2
Race 2 came around, and this time I lined up on the outside grid spot in P2. We'd found the cause of the starting issue, so we went in with confidence off the line. That helped massively and we took the lead in the early stages, making my failed move from the last race pay off this time. I pulled a gap, but couldn't quite break the tow from the two behind, and they caught back up near the end. It got dicey, but I led into the final corner. Little did I know a move like nothing I'd seen before was coming my way - Zach put in an incredible pass, going from third to first at the final corner to take the win.
Race 3
Then came Race 3. We were starting from P3 this time, a row back - but on the inside. I fell to fourth off the line, then made my way into third within half a lap. This was a legendary race. We were dicing for the lead lap after lap, fighting for every inch of racetrack we could get. The three-way battle from the last two races soon turned into five cars, and it was all on.
For this race I knew Dylan had to finish third and I had to win to take the championship. I waited in third, making sure I didn't drop any lower in the field while also giving Zach a chance to get past Dylan. Zach made the move on the last lap, and from there it was all on. I took the outside line into the penultimate corner to try for the lead, but came out of it in second. Into the last corner Zach covered the inside, and I tried to make the best run I could onto the main straight to take it over the line.
But to no avail - I crossed the line second. After such a close and intense championship, the whole thing came down to a tenth. It just goes to show how tight Formula Ford is, and how every single race matters in a class this competitive.
The Season
Across this season we had plenty of highs and lows - from a fireball at Taupo and a crash at Pukekohe, to being on fire at Taupo and having battles as good as that final race at Manfeild.
With an awesome season behind me and another one coming up, I want to thank my personal sponsors - NZ Performance, Chris Canham, Civiltrain.nz, Ultimate Motor Group and Syndicate Fabrication - as well as the class sponsors, Napa Auto Parts NZ, Giltrap Group and Yokohama Tyres NZ. Everything these people have done, from funding to guidance, is hugely appreciated and helped me perform at 100% all season.