Picking winners at Nelson
Friday 17 July 2015, 2:54PM
By Mark Baker
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What odds a home town victory? At this month’s Nelson Ruff’n’Tuff offroad endurance race, the odds are stacked.
With the two top unlimited class entries both hailing from the South Island town and the course featuring enough wide open forest roads to allow the big bangers a chance to carve through the field, organisers are hard pressed to ignore the recent form of Nevil Basalaj in his massive Jimco Chev two-seater race car.
If 2014 winner Basalaj drops out, another local will be looking to take top step of the podium – Cam Stratford (pictured) is entered in his Nissan SR20 turbo powered single-seater.
Backed this year by Greg Winn/Hire Now, the race has also attracted a northern entry: Glen Raymond will bring his Bowler Tomcat V8 4WD down for a shot at the race.
The event will once more run in the Hancock-managed forest at Dovedale and is the final southern round of the 2015 ENZED offroad racing championship.
Up to seven local teams will contest the endurance race on Sunday July 26.