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OFFROAD RACERS GATHER AT FEILDING FOR CHAMPIONSHIP DUEL

Thursday 16 August 2018, 2:22PM

By Mark Baker

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Leading truck racer Nick Hall, Toyota Hilux Chev
Leading truck racer Nick Hall, Toyota Hilux Chev Credit: Veritas Communications Limited

LET BATTLE COMMENCE

 

It’s a whole day of no-holds-barred racing action to decide the champion of stadium short course racing. The fastest and toughest offroad racers in the country are heading to Feilding for this weekend’s UTV Bits New Zealand Offroad Racing Short Course Championship.

Entries for the event had topped 50 by Wednesday, with up to 20 more expected over the final days of this week or on race day (Saturday).

Manukau’s Tony McCall, the most successful offroad racer in the history of New Zealand and a former short course champion, is bringing his unlimited class BSL Chev race car south.

Ben Thomasen, multiple New Zealand champion from Tauranga, is bringing his giant-killing Polaris RZR 1000 to the event. The modified class for UTV or ‘side by side’ race cars also includes front-runners and championship contenders Joel Giddy from Silverdale and Bob Uttridge of Christchurch (both running Yamaha UTVs).

Justin Davies of Waiuku is bringing his powerful Cougar Honda turbo single-seater.

From the South Island come leading unlimited-class racers Jacob Brownlees (Christchurch) in his Mitsubishi Evo powered single seater car and the spectacular Greg Winn of Nelson driving The General, his Scorpion Chev two seater.

Facing the onslaught are several local drivers including William van der Wal in his unlimited-class V8 race truck. There are six unlimited class trucks and one production class truck entered so far.

The two biggest classes in the event are the unlimited race cars and the U-class (stock) UTVs, both with grids of eight.

Racing starts at 10 am on Saturday at the Palmerston North Offroad Race Club’s purpose-built track at 125 Kawakawa Road, Feilding. Organisers say there is also a chance to get a closer look at the race machinery during scrutineering on Friday at the former Write Price car park between 3pm and 7 pm. Spectator admission on race day is $10 per person or $20 per family.

-End-

 

2018 UTV Bits New Zealand Short Course Championship

Entries, class by class

 

Class one

Jacob Brownlees

Shaun Russell

Tony McCall

Dan Fromings

Lance Cargill

Paul Smith

Josh Rutledge

Justin Davies

 

Class two

Ron Crosby

 

Class three

Dean Graham

Alan Saunders

Darryl Rush

Brendon Old

Andrew Carroll

Jarrod Marwood

Mike Gibson

 

 

 

Class five

Todd Graham

Nick Magness

Tyler Castle

Regan Swensson

Alistair Manning

Warren Trim

 

Class 7

Keegan Russell

 

Class eight

Grant Moorhouse

Dale Buckley

Nick Hall

Richard Bell

William van der Wal

Gary Preston

 

Class 9

Cody Hata

 

Challenger VW

Ricky May

Geoff Matich

Karl Burbage

Mark Goldstone

Jacob Houghton

Greg Lang

 

UTV U-class

Dion Edgecombe

Carl Ruiterman

Shane McWatt

Leigh Bishop

Brian Rutgers

Cole Glasgow

Scott Mitchell

Dyson Delahunty

 

UTV S-class

Ben Thomasen

Joel Giddy

Bob Uttridge

Craig Patching

 

Kiwitruck youth category

J class

Jack Brownlees

Kelan Keith

Holly Russell

Reeve Giddy
 

M class

Harry Hodgson

 

Produced by Veritas Communications Limited for the Offroad Racing Association of New Zealand. For further information and images please contact

Mark Baker

Veritas

Mobile 021 2120607