OFFROAD RACING CHAMPIONSHIP ACTION IN NORTH AND SOUTH

A feast of top level offroad racing action is in store in New Zealand’s two biggest cities as the second northern and southern rounds of the 2014 national championship hit Auckland and Christchurch over Queen’s Birthday Weekend.
In Auckland, V8 thunder goes up against the diminutive Polaris and Can Am ‘UTV race cars in the rough tracks of Woodhill Forest.
In Christchurch, Nevil Basalaj aims to continue his dominant form in his newly rebuilt Jimco Chev V6 at the purpose built West Melton track on Weedons Ross Road. The Mainland Challenge is a one-day event that features competition in heats for the 13 classes of car eligible for the national championship. These range from the diminutive Kiwitrucks used in the youth category all the way to ‘anything goes’ unlimited-class trucks and race cars. Racing starts at 11.00 am.
Scrutineering for the Christchurch event takes place on Saturday 31st May at Roydvale Vehicle Testing Station, 518 Wairakei Road, Harewood.
The 34th Woodhill 100 will be held in Woodhill Forest north of Auckland on the same day. It is the oldest running offroad racing event in NZ and is also the longest continually running endurance motorsport event in NZ.
The Woodhill is a 50-50 mix of gravel forest roads and rough sand tracks and every year attracts the top race drivers and teams. This year the race is set to be a battle between the unlimited-class V8 race trucks and cars of class one and eight and the tiny but potent ‘UTV”’ class Polaris and can Am race cars that have swept through the sport in the past two years.
Raana Horan leads the race truck entries in his mighty Nissan Titan V8. Horan counts this race as his ‘home’ event and has won it twice. He was the first driver ever to win the Woodhill in a race truck.
Proudly carrying the Chevy flag is Gregg Carrington-Hogg in Blue Thunder, a V8 two-seater unlimited-class race car built by ShoresNZ. Alan Hilliam from the Waikato is also racing in the unlimited class, running a Porsche flat six engine.
Phil Smart, Paul Sutton and Tony Radisich are the first entries in the UTV class.
Scrutineering and qualifying for the event will be held Saturday May 31 at the Steele family’s sand quarry north of Kumeu; the race on Sunday June 1 is accessed off Trig Road north of Parakai. Racing starts at 11.00 am.
The Stihl Shop Woodhill 100 will also be filmed for TV3’s CRC Motorsport programme.