Rotorua's Sloan Cox in action at the Finnish RX Academy. Photo/RX Academy
Rotorua's Sloan Cox heads to Finland this week for rounds three and four of the 2018 RX Academy.
The RX Academy is a five-round competition and coaching programme based in Finland designed to help competitors develop a career in rallycross, one of the fastest growing forms of motor sport.
Cox said he was looking forward to competing as well as absorbing all he could from the experience.
"I want to get back on the podium and also win some races. But, the main thing I want to get out of it is more learning and developing myself. Every time I go over I learn more so I want to keep learning.
"I am really looking forward to getting back into the awesome Renault Clio RS RX race car. I didn't prove myself fully in round two so I can't wait to get back to Europe to show what I can do. I didn't achieve everything I wanted to last time so I can't wait to be racing again over there."
He said, in the academy rounds so far, he had learned a lot about clean and consistent driving.
"In races with multiple young drivers in identical cars you really need to have consistent fast driving. There isn't much room for mistakes. Its really going to help improve my speed all round and really get the most out of other cars.
"I have also learned a lot about the mental state to be in when driving, the correct mindset to be in and how to get into that mindset. To be a champion you really need to learn all aspects to driving and I'm learning more every time.
"The level of drivers is very high and we are close in speed. We are all young drivers from different parts of the world from different backgrounds in motor sport, so it is awesome that we are all so close," said Cox.
"Motor sport in Europe is crazy big. They just live for it there and there are a lot of fast young drivers at all levels. The RX Academy is set up in a way the drivers learn from each other. Through talking to each other, working with driver trainers and using everyone's' info from cars and group sessions."
Cox has been hard at work converting his own car to two-wheel drive, in an effort to replicate what he uses during the academy.
"We felt that I need a front wheel drive race car in New Zealand to get good seat time in between rounds. We looked at buying one, but the right car that we needed wasn't for sale in New Zealand and would cost a lot.
"So, after a bit of talking and the advice from my awesome sponsor Driveline Automotive Rotorua, the decision was made to convert our four-wheel drive Mitsubishi Evo X rally car to front-wheel drive.
"Being my own mechanic in New Zealand, I had the gearbox and transfer case out and I was down at the Driveline Automotive to make the changes needed. All the rear drive train was removed and a week later the car was up and running and we were out testing.
"It was different to drive at first because it wasn't just any front-wheel drive, it was a rally car that I knew so well as a four-wheel drive. But it didn't take long at all to get the hang of it and I really got some good practice days in," he said.
The RX Academy round three is in Jalasjärvi on Saturday and round four is in Kouvola on August 26.