Mainland Challenge may tip balance to unlimited class

The early lead in the 2008 New Zealand offroad racing national championship is likely to become a north-south affair after racing at the second round, the Cruzin Limousines Mainland Challenge, May 10 and 11.

Entries in the Christchurch event are filling fast, with new cars and established front-runners already aiming to take maximum points from this round and lead the championship.

The Mainland Challenge has often been a regional showdown between Nelson and Christchurch clubs, but this year it seems the home team will have a significant advantage in numbers and speed.

Wayne Moriarty of Christchurch is set to renew his keen rivalry with Nelson car dealer Dennis Andreassend in the spectacular Leader Products Super 1600s.

Moriarty’s fast Cougar single-seater has had a comprehensive going-over in preparation for this season and he says he is looking forward to a weekend he rates as one of the most challenging and enjoyable in the sport.

Andreassend, meanwhile, sat out most of 2007 after a troubled run at this event last year. He is keen to make a strong showing at this round in order to get a championship title race going.

There is a new US-built Jimco car for Daniel Powell, and a strong early showing of entries for the class indicates the championship points advantage may well tip that way after the second round.

Currently leading the championship is Hamilton racer Maurice Bain, who drove his production class Nissan Navara V6 utility to a clean sweep of the event heats and an outright points lead in the championship. He may well lose his early advantage this weekend.

First entries in the popular VW Spares Challenger class are local Scott Campbell and Queenstown racer Matthew Pratt.
 

The newest car on the grid is that of local driver Ron Campbell, who has established a single-make race class of agile cars using 1100 cc engines called the Allsales Formula 1100. He will be making the debut appearance of the new class at national level.

Leading competitors say strategy will be crucial on the first day of the event, which is a 150 km endurance race on a farm at Swannanoa, accessed off Number 10 Road.

The first day of competition is set to start with a prologue to decide the grid at 10.00 am, a non-championship curtain-raiser of ATV (quad) racing on the same track an hour before and the race itself getting under way at 12.30.

With most of the course visible from one location, the enduro event is a firm favourite for spectators.

Risking mechanical damage in order to place well at the enduro would put any driver’s overall points tally at risk with a full day of points-bearing short course (stadium) racing the following day at the Canterbury Off Road Club’s West Melton track.

At West Melton, the championship racing is by class in a series of three heats, starting at 11.00 am.

The combined points tally from the enduro and the short course count toward each racer’s championship position.