ALL OF THE COMPETITORS’ VEHICLES PRESENTED WELL ON MONDAY MORNING
EASTER SUNDAY
EASTER Sunday kicked off with the Eldee Station Easter Egg Hunt, ensuring all the kids got their fill of chocolate first thing in the morning before they were back in their parents’ 4WDS, taking on more timed driving stages including the ARB Penrith Sheepyard Shenanigans and the Oricom All Terrain Challenge.
Two vehicles at a time tackled the ARB Penrith Sheepyard Challenge, racing through parallel courses within Eldee’s sheepyards, with a series of gates that had to be opened and closed. This event not only tested the skills of the drivers, but also the stamina of the navigators, all while being shouted at by the kids from within their vehicles and fellow competitors lining the course. The Cobar pairing of Luke Taylor and Sandy Wildman, with kids Zoe (10) and Summah (6), took out the stage in their Nissan Y62 Patrol; this was their third appearance at the ARB Eldee Easter Event and they commented that it had an even friendlier and more relaxed feel to it than in previous years.
The Oricom All Terrain Challenge was the event’s final timed driving stage, and it involved competitors driving through Eldee’s creek, up a rocky track, turning around and returning to the start point. The Panasiuk team fittingly took out this final stage on their way to another well-deserved event victory.
Before the prize presentations on Sunday afternoon, there were still a couple of very important activities. The kids burnt off the morning’s chocolate calories in a jumping castle, before taking on the challenging Hobby HQ Remote Control Car Mini Rally. They then had a crack at the Shimano Sharp Shooter casting event, the prize for which was a brand new ARB 60L Fridge Freezer.
Photographer Michael Ellem from Offroad Images had earlier enlisted the services of several junior track builders to help him create a challenging RC course, over which competitors (ranging in age) tackled obstacles such as Chook Rock, Bilby’s Tunnel, Wraith Pass, Rabbit’s Crossing and Air Locker Hill. To even out the playing field, at the end of the event a random time was drawn from a hat, and the kids whose times were closest to it took home the goodies, which included some fabulous remote-control prizes supplied by The Hobby Headquarters.
The top three place-getters at the end of the of the ARB Eldee Easter Event 2017 were then announced, with Kurt and Dior Johnston in third, David and Chris Skinner in second and, of course, James Panasiuk and family in first. They were loaded up with some fantastic prizes from the event sponsors, which had a total value somewhere in the vicinity of $20,000.
After all of the prizes were awarded, Eldee Station’s Naomi Schmidt then took to the stage. “I’d like to thank you all for travelling here and making it a great weekend, and I’d like to thank all the sponsors who make things go very smoothly,” she said. “I hope you’ve all had a really good time, and I hope to see you all again next year.”
With the completion of another very successful Easter weekend at Eldee, hosts Naomi and Stephen can now look forward to next year’s ARB Eldee Easter Event, with naming-rights sponsor ARB confirming its continued support into the future.
“Eldee can count on ARB’S support so long as the competitors have a great time,” ARB Sales and Marketing Manager, Matthew Frost said. “So I’d like to pledge ARB’S support as naming rights sponsor for next year’s event.”
Despite James Panasiuk’s attacking driving style, his almoststandard Mitsubishi NP Pajero came out unscathed. In fact, all of the competitors’ vehicles presented well on Monday morning, ready for their long drives home after another hugely successful and fun-packed ARB Eldee Easter Event.