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NORTH-SOUTH OFFROAD RACING CHAMPIONSHIP CLASH COMES TO NELSON

Tuesday 5 April 2016, 9:13PM

By Mark Baker

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Nevil Basalaj
Nevil Basalaj Credit: Veritas Communications Limited
  • Raiders cross Cook Strait, aim to steal southern glory
  • Powell debuts new rotary powered unlimited class racer
  • Chang back in the saddle with GT Radial unlimited class truck

 

Nelson is the battleground as the fastest southern racers line up for their first chance to grab points in the 2016 Polaris New Zealand Offroad Racing Championship.

They won’t have things all their own way, with a contingent of northern bandits heading south aiming to steal points and championship glory. Racing on a new farm-based short track course at Kinzett Creek Road, Tadmore, the southern racers will be looking to fend off an aggressive challenge from the northerners.

Leading the charge for the south are local racers Nevil Basalaj (Jimco Chev), Ash Kelly (Cougar VW Evo) and Cam Stratford; all three in the spectacular unlimited race car class.

Also racing in that class and making a debut of his new Mazda rotary-engined car is former national champion Daniel Powell of Christchurch. Their northern challenge is also likely to be the racer who travels farthest to compete: Clim-Tristan Lammers is coming from Hikurangi, near Whangarei.

Bryan Chang, also Christchurch-based,  brings his GT Radial Ford Falcon turbo out for the first competitive run of the season, and goes wheel to wheel with the biggest unlimited-class truck grid so far this season.

Even with the withdrawal of Gavin Storer due to illness the ‘big banger’ grid is packed with trucks including Carl Gardiner’s big black Nissan, the Nissan Navara of Andrew Johnston, Mike Blackmore’s Honda, and the double northern threat of Martin Van Der Wal in his four wheel drive Hilux V8 and Grant ‘Rowdy’ Rosenburg in his bright green truck, now repowered with a big Chev V8.

The 2016 Nelson Ruff’n’Tuff gets under way at 11.00 am on Saturday. The new race venue will be signposted from the Kohatu/Tapawera turn-off, south of Wakefield. Spectator admission is $5 per person, $20 per car load with under fives free.