OFFROAD RACING CHAMPIONSHIP ARRIVES AT MANUKAU
Thursday 19 April 2018, 3:50PM
By Mark Baker
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High speeds, spectacular action:
American-style short course offroad racing fires up at Colin Dale Park this weekend as the 2018 ORANZ New Zealand Offroad Racing Championship rolls into Manukau.
Local drivers Jack Hellier (Karaka), Nick Hall (Drury) and Tony McCall (Manukau) will be on track aiming to add to the points they won at the opening round a month ago, and to prevent their rivals from edging ahead in the title points battle. Hellier and McCall arrive at Colin Dale Park with the maximum 72 points; Hall on 70. The only other driver in the main categories with top points is new Challenger VW racer Mark Goldstone.
It is the first time the championship has raced on the new 1.2 km track being established by Counties Manukau Offroad Racing Club in a project led and championed by Kevin Hall. Extensive drainage and other work has been undertaken by Auckland Council and circuit design input has come from the club and Mr Hall. The course is visible from all spectator areas.
Top drivers are massing in the JG Civil-backed UTV category including current U-class leader and former northern champion Carl Ruiterman (Pukekohe), lightning-fast Dyson Delahunty (Tauranga), current S class leader Joel Giddy and Albany-based Hayden McKenzie. Defending champion Ben Thomasen (Tauranga) is close to the top of the points table as he seeks to repeat his 2017 title run.
Across the U (standard) and S (modified) UTV classes, there are now 14 entries; at the opening round last month in Taranaki the UTVs were almost half the 60-vehicle field. The UTV drivers will have one eye on the weather, with Met Service predictions for fine days they will be looking for overnight showers to reduce grip and give their light, agile vehicles the advantage.
Racing at Colin Dale Park is accessed from Prices Road, Manukau and gets under way at 10 am. Spectator admission is $10 per person; children under 12 are free.
Machinery Movers Ltd
Manukau short course
Leading entries to date: (car number/name)
Class 1
109 Alan Hilliam, Dargaville
157 Tony McCall, Manukau
196 Justin Davies, Waiuku
197 Tony Attwood, Auckland
Class 3
307 Dean Graham, Hawkes Bay
333 Brendon Old, Taranaki
363 Lance Mitchell, Taranaki
367 Jarrod Marwood, Auckland
381 David Forsyth, Hawkes Bay
398 Kevin Cooper, Karaka
4WD Bits class 4 – sports trucks
400 Robert Cresswell, Taranaki
Class 5
507 Todd Graham, Hawkes Bay
517 Nick Magness, Auckland
545 Regan Swensson, Auckland
Class 7
710 Connor Nicklin, Auckland
726 Jack Hellier, Karaka
4WD Bits class 8
825 Dale Buckley, Auckland
861 Nick Hall, Manukau
893 Malcolm Langley, Whakatane
886 Louis Carlyle, Maraetai
Class 10
1067 Sam Atkins, Waikato
Challenger VW
C18 Geoff Matich, Auckland
C21 Ollie McCall, Manukau
C32 Karl Burbage, Auckland
C84 Ash Carlyle, Maraetai
C87 Mark Goldstone, Tauranga
JG Civil UTV category – U class
U14 Dion Edgecombe, Matamata
U31 Shane McWatt, Auckland
U22 Carl Ruiterman, Pukekohe
U72 Scott Mitchell, Auckland
U36 Leigh Bishop, Manukau
U43 Brian Rutgers, Manukau
JG Civil UTV category –S class
S1 Ben Thomason Tauranga
NZ3 Joel Giddy Whangarei
S17 Nathan Moore Waikato
S66 Rick Field, Taranaki
S98 Haydn Mackenzie, Albany
S99 Jake Field, Taranaki
S89 Phil Johnston Manukau
S97 Grant Sleeman, Manukau
Crabb Racing Kiwitruck youth category
J69 Andre England, Auckland
J81 Reeve Giddy, Whangarei
J321 Lincoln Whiddett, Auckland
M12 Harry Hodgson, Auckland