Its in the data: Why Tickford chose Dalton

Wildcard rookie Lochie Dalton steps up for the main game at Sydney Motorsport Park this weekend and Tickford saw enough in the data to give him a crack at the night race.

The announcement in Darwin that Tasmanian Lochie Dalton will run a Tickford Wildcard at Sydney Motorsport Park came out of the blue, and to be honest was a bit of a surprise to most of the paddock. 

Hailing originally from Launceston, Dalton is a protégé of two-time series champion Marcos Ambrose, but he now calls Sydney home, and he works most days in driver training at SMP, making it the perfect track for his debut. 

But he only sits eighth in the Dunlop Super2 Series as part of a three-car Tickford team. According to Tickford Commercial boss Simon Brookhouse, those points don’t tell the full story he has done enough to secure the opportunity. 

“I think for us, it’s all about the development of all our drivers and giving them the opportunity,” Brookhouse said.

Lochie Dalton’s wildcard livery.

“Lochie has obviously got great maturity and good relationships with some of the sponsors and partners that are on his car currently. 

“He came to us and said he’d really liked the opportunity and we gave him the parameters about how we were going to go about it, the associated costs, and he was forthcoming and got the right backers and he’s going to get his chance, and we think that’s great.” 

Given he hasn’t set the world on fire in his three Super2 meetings so far this year, Tickford saw enough in the data to have the confidence he can do the job. 

“We’ve definitely got confidence in him. He’s got a lot of experience through Trans Am, through 86s, through karting going way back and he’s very consistent in the DS2 cars,” he said.

“What we really like about Lockie is he listens, he learns. He’s here this weekend deliberately to shadow Cam and Thomas get a feel for the championship series and how we go about it. He is sitting in all the pre-brief and debriefs, and that was his own volition.

Lochie Dalton during his first Super2 round for Tickford at Bathurst. Image: Peter Norton EPIC Sports Photography

“He wanted to be here, he wanted to learn and I think that’s his testament to him.”

While Dalton doesn’t have an endurance co-drive this year, he is in the frame next year as Tickford keeps digging for its next batch of talent. 

For Dalton, SMP came about in a bit of a rush after Perth. When he knew there was a chance, he moved heaven and earth to make it happen. 

“There was a slight discussion just after Perth, so it has all came about pretty last minute,” Dalton said.

“It’s pretty rare to get an opportunity like this. 

“I probably wouldn’t have been that comfortable doing it if it wasn’t in Sydney. I know Sydney track quite well. I work there most days with Driving Solutions, so I’ve turned a lot of laps there.

“A lot of my family, friends, and partners are all from Sydney too, so it’s going to be a great event to have everyone there. 

“And, of course, it’s pretty special that it’s at night.”

He said the tough part was pulling the funding together, nothing in motorsport come for free at his level. His main batch of supporters – many from Tasmania, including Andrew Walter from Andrew Walter Constructions who started the AWC Motorsport Academy to helped Tasmanians in motorsport – were all happy to step up with him. 

Lochie Dalton dominated Trans Am at Winton last year. image: Daniel Kalisz Photographer

“A lot of Tassie businesses have jumped on board to help me, which is great. There was a little bit of talk about doing Symmons Plains, but this makes more sense.”

His career follows a standard trajectory. Karts to 86s and then to Super2, his point of difference is a bit of Trans Am in there which gives him exposure to big V8s.

His karting was state and national level here, and a little bit in Italy after winning a national title before returning here to focus on becoming a Supercars driver. 

COVID made the T86 years a bit of a hit and miss, but Trans Am with Garry Rogers Motorsport put him on the radar with a second place in the series. 

“I did two years there,” he said of Trans Am, “and ended up getting a few wins and podiums and I really learn my craft and understanding for the race car and also the off-track stuff too. 

“That’s something the Rogers are really good with, helping with your attitude and everything like that. Just becoming a package, not just the race car driver. How do you talk to people, how you do your everyday stuff. 

“I really learned a lot with Garry.”

This year he had a solid start to the year with fifth in the opening round, but he feels like he didn’t maximise Perth. Which in non-driver terms means he thinks he could have done better. 

“It’s been up and down so far, but hopefully Townsville, we can get a good result and then head to Sydney for the wildcard.” 

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