Offroad Racing Championship Kicks Off

Nick Leahy, who won all four heats for his class and has a share of top points in the championship.

Media release 12 March 2012

Offroad Racing Championship Kicks Off

• Four racers take clean sweep to top the points table

• Troubled start for championship’s new cars

• Wet and wild end to Manukau race day

Four racers from very different classes have an equal share of the lead in the 2012 Mickey Thompson New Zealand Offroad Racing Championship.

Grahame Steedman, Klem Christiansen, Nick Leahy and 14 year old Taine Carrington all won every heat for their respective classes - from the bellowing might of the V8-dominated ThunderTruck class (Steedman) to the tiny VW-engined class seven (Carrington), in conditions that went from cool and overcast to torrential rain that turned the clay-surfaced track to greasy ankle-deep mud.

Leahy and Carrington both survived rollovers on their way to taking top points in their classes; all four have amassed 72 points.

Close behind them in the championship stakes after this opening round, northwest Auckland racer Mike Hay gave his new Toyota Hilux its championship debut outing, winning production class to take 70 points into round two; Jason Delahunty brought his Toyota out for the first time in class four to win and carry 70 points to the next round.

Taupo’s Klem Christiansen was the class six winner and Grahame Steedman took class eight.

In the race car classes Alistair Manning came all the way from Wellington to win the Super 1300s and got 70 points for his efforts. Pukekohe's Nick Hall won two heats and survived a spin and a flat tyre to win the Leader Products Super 1600 class and take away 64 points; Whakatane's Malcolm Langley won two heats and took top points in the Whakatane Commercial Spares unlimited race car class (60) with fellow Whakatane driver Clive Thornton just one point behind on 59. Nick Leahy won the Challenger VW class and 14 year old Taine Carrington won the VW-engined class 7.

Though many had been tipping the new car of Tony McCall to dominate, it retired with gearbox problems after the first heat.

The sport's youth category, Kiwitrucks, saw Marcus Runciman of Clendon win the "J" class, taking equal top points with Jasper Ryder. Manukau's Ollie McCall won the more powerful "M" class. Runciman and McCall were making their championship debuts in Kiwitruck.

The second round of the 2012 Mickey Thompson New Zealand Offroad Racing Championship will be held Saturday and Sunday of Easter weekend at Mangawhai north of Auckland.

-Ends-

TOP RACING IN KIWITRUCK YOUTH CATEGORY

Eight Kiwitrucks hit the track at Manukau for the first round of the 2012 Mickey Thompson New Zealand Offroad Racing Championship.

The recently introduced class makes its national championship debut this year and will closely follow the senior classes, providing added family interest at each round of the championship.

Kiwitrucks are built to two specifications: “J” class introduces new racers to the sport, and has a simple, user-friendly drivetrain; “M” class uses a more powerful motorcycle engine and has a manual shift gearbox.

In J class, Marcus Runciman of Clendon and Jasper Ryder of Whenuapai shared top points after four heats, with Fergus Crabb (Albany) third, Dyson Delahunty fourth and Alexandria Bleakley fifth.

The M class races saw Ollie McCall win the day on his racing debut ahead of Colby Langley and Jack Hawkeswood.

Kiwitrucks return to racing at the second round of the championship at Mangawhai during Easter.

-End-

© Scoop Media