Dirt Nation
Christchurch to Auckland and back – a long haul, which a lot of us will do in hope of a race event that makes the effort worthwhile. This time the racing really was exceptional.
I had a solo drive up from Christchurch and got to test out the new camper back on the hauler. Was first to arrive and set up and tested the practicalities of camping trackside, which was a revelation. The drive to Auckland was the most relaxed and relaxing I can remember. Being able to just plonk down trackside and be based there was such a difference.
Gridding up with 16 other trucks – that’s a record field. We were a split grid, half class eight and half ProLite class eight. There was a bit of a clanger dropped there – the ProLites were supposed to be the second wave and be far enough back that the big bangers were well clear. Instead we swooped down into the first corner all mixed together. It was surprising that we all emerged out of that dust cloud relatively intact.
There was a bit of rubbing between trucks – notably in the corner after the table-top which is a right hander with more unforgiving concrete barrier to avoid when you go for a slide through the apex – but we (most of us) mostly stayed out of trouble.
I did see Shayne Huxtable part company with his front right wheel…and hub…and brake caliper…and disc. That all went wrong on the front straight and he did well to keep his truck out of the wall.
The dipper jump on the front straight is cool, if a bit unforgiving. Having to gather up two tonnes of metal and then turn left immediately afterward would be a massive challenge. Fortunately the Giti Chev doesn’t weigh anywhere near that. Once we land, we’re clawing off the airspeed big time.
And then in the third heat it all changed. The big trucks – V8s, four wheel drive, all that jazz – discovered that going four-wide into the table-top isn’t a thing. The ProLites were amongst them as they swung to approach the table-top so it was never going to end well.
When the dust cleared Raana Horan’s big gold Nissan
Titan was well buried in the side of Mal Langley’s Toyota Tundra. I’d mostly got the Giti Chev through most of the mayhem but got squished under Raana’s rear wheels.
Highlights: Mad Mike Whiddett and his son Linc. It was very cool to rub shoulders – and occasionally guards – with
Mike in that raucous wee rotary truck; while Linc is a star in the making in his 450. Thumbs-up to Tony McCall for having the vision to make space for these two.
Warren Adams also had a good weekend, leading a heat in his chassis-style Nissan V8. That truck – a former class 6 – has a good balance of power, torque and grip and Warren’s a cool customer behind the wheel, even when he has the roaring beasties of Raana and Mad Mike coming up behind him.
That’s how it finished up for us – bonnet and front guards smashed to bits and a broken front right suspension. With the Chev tucked away in the trailer, we were off home with the galloping Covids chasing us out of town.
The grapevine: And so to the jungle drums and the grapevine: there’s a whiff of excitement coming out of the north at the moment. Someone up there is in the process of bringing some serious truck iron out of the United States, pretty much two trucks plus gear. They might need to have a bit of a garage sale too, just to make room for the new gear.
Can’t say who, but I heard it from a bloke at the opening round of the stadium championships and he’s an impeccable source. The happy new owner(s) are real hard racers too.
That record 17 truck grid in February was pretty exciting, the best racing I’ve had on a short or stadium course. Getting these two mystery racers back into championship action will be huge and will only add to the fun at next year’s stadium championship.
Meanwhile we will be racing the southern championship rounds and looking forward to the finals at Kurow – the Mainland’s best place to race. More about that one in the next column. We will also be working to spread the word outside the sport at static displays and demonstration runs. If we’re invited back, we’ll go to Ashley Forest rallysprint again. May see y’all there.