OFFROAD RACERS GATHER AT FEILDING FOR CHAMPIONSHIP DUEL
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.
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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