As the CAMS DEWALT Australian SXS championship reaches its climax this weekend, current leader James Shipp is well aware of what he needs to do to claim his maiden title.
Despite Shipp having yet to win a round in 2019, his consistency has put him in the box seat to secure the championship over SXS Sport leader Tim Liston.
However it hasn’t been all smooth sailing for Shipp, with the Polaris driver suffering mechanical issues like most other drivers, including round two where he lost out first place to Ewan McClue and had to settle for second.
“This year hasn’t been a great year for us, we have had a lot of issues that have been holding us back from actually getting a win,” Shipp said.
“Round one we snapped a front pop shaft, round two we had a stall on one of the corners and we cracked the radiator in round three so it’s not an ideal way of getting through the year, but everyone else seems to be having the same issues.
“I feel a lot of the other drivers are pushing really hard this year. Compared to 2018, the driving and car speeds are leaps and bounds from what it was and everyone is pretty hungry to get the win.”
With the leader only needing to make it into the Grand Final and finish four spots ahead of Liston to be crowned champion, Shipp has opted to go into the final round with a little bit of caution.
“The pressure is definitely on but we don’t have to win the round to win the championship,” Shipp added.
“As nice as it would be to end the round on a high, it’s nice that just need to make the final to be in a good position to win.
“I am little nervous and I know that I just have to keep my cool, do what we’ve been doing all year. It’s worked for us so far despite the unfortunate mechanical issues, which have been out of our control.
“I also know that you have to look out for the other drivers. It’s a rough sport so getting out in the front and keeping some clean air on other drivers is always a key thing.”
As for his preparation for the big one, Shipp has had a busy time in between rounds, with his Polaris SXS undergoing a complete makeover.
Despite the detailed preparation, a composed Shipp said he was mainly involved in the sport for fun and a title at the of the weekend would be a bonus.
“We have spent a whole week working on the car full time, doing a full strip down and rebuild, changing everything to brand new with a focus on a new radiator,” Shipp explained.
“We cracked a radiator at the last round so we manufactured our own for this week with a few little bits and pieces. There are always some improvements to make on the car but we’re chipping away at it.
“However for me we are doing this all for fun. We will go out there to enjoy ourselves and it would be awesome to get both the win and the championship but you never know what could happen.
“Simon Evans had a bad run last year and was watching the final from the sidelines yet still came away with the championship.
“I hope to avoid that situation but at the end of the day, this is motor sport and anything can happen.”
The fourth and final round of the CAMS DEWALT Australian SXS Championship takes place at Mafeking Rover Park on 26 October 2019 with free entry available to all spectators.