Thrills, Spills And Big Air At The 2025 New Zealand Off-Road Racing Championship Final

TAURANGA, New Zealand – The 2025 New Zealand Off-Road Racing Championship Series reached a spectacular conclusion over the weekend at the Waikato Offroad Racing Club’s home track at TECT Park, with perfect weather and a record turnout of competitors and fans setting the stage for two days of adrenaline-fuelled action.

The event opened with the Pro 1 class, where a stacked field of championship contenders roared off the line in a display of raw power and precision driving. Every competitor gunned for the first jump, sending their race cars flying in unison – a breathtaking sight that set the tone for the weekend. As one veteran competitor put it, “reputation means nothing when the green flag drops.”

Adding to the excitement, the Sky Sport camera crew was on site for the first time to film short-course off-road racing. Commentator Stephen McIvor was impressed by the spectacle.

Next up was the ProBuggy category, featuring an impressive 18-car grid. When the green flag waved, the field charged towards the jump four-wide, disappearing into a wall of dust but never lifting off the throttle. For five intense laps per heat, the action was relentless—bumpers clashing, dirt flying, and cars launching skyward to the delight of the packed embankment crowd. With such depth in the field, every heat was anyone’s race.

The Ultra 4 Turbo class followed, showcasing the extreme performance of these high-powered machines. Newcomer Noah Hutchison made a strong impression, dominating the class with multiple wins and earning the respect of seasoned competitors.

But it was the ProTruck battles that stole the show. The fierce rivalry between Richard Crabb and Gary Baker delivered everything fans could hope for—mid-air contact, massive jumps, and no shortage of door-to-door action. The crowd favourite, however, was Peter Gordon in his eye-catching blue ProLite, whose fearless approach and massive jumps drew cheers from start to finish. ProTruck racing clearly won new fans in the Bay of Plenty after this unforgettable display.

The KiwiTruck junior racers also impressed, running the full short-course track and earning raucous applause from spectators cheering on the next generation of off-road talent.

Sunday’s program opened with a Kids Enduro, a 40-minute adventure combining stadium track, gravel roads and forest trails – an unforgettable experience for the young competitors and their families.

The main event, Sunday’s Enduro final, brought the top short-course racers back to the grid in championship order. Daynom Templeman started from pole, with Cam Paton and Tony McCall alongside. Templeman led early before mechanical gremlins struck, handing the advantage to Paton, who built a commanding one-minute lead. Behind him, McCall and Hutchison battled fiercely for second – until Dyson Delahunty emerged from the dust to snatch victory in the closing laps.

After hours of punishing racing through rugged forest trails, many finishers crossed the line battered but proud, having survived one of the toughest courses on the calendar.

The 2025 season finale at TECT Park will be remembered as a showcase of New Zealand off-road racing at its very best – a weekend of passion, power, and pure spectacle.

2025 CT Civil New Zealand Offroad Racing Championship Series - Champions

KiwiTruck

1st J48 Jack Doland

2nd J17 Brett Carlyle

3rd J11 Indy Rice

KiwiModified

1st M08 Jack Rice

2nd M21 Oliver Mooney

3rd M51 Lily Williams

Junior Overall

1st M08 Jack Rice

2nd J48 Jack Doland

3rd M21 Oliver Mooney

Pro1

1st 157 Tony McCall (13 times Pro1 NZ Champion)

2nd 152 Brett Vanner

3rd 170 Sareena Paterson

ProBuggy

1st 368 Jared Nagle

2nd 313 John Instone

3rd Connor Nicklin

LiteBuggy

1st 574 Aaron Hogg-Medland

ProTruck

1st 861 Nick Hall (3 times ProTruck NZ Champion)

2nd 818 Dale Strong

BajaBug

1st 900 Arnie Jones

Ultra2

1st 1082 Ed Hiestand

Challenger

1st C70 Sareena Paterson

Ultra4Turbo

1st S03 Noah Hutchison

2nd S27 Jayden Cassidy

3rd S80 Andrew Williams

Ultra4

1st U32 Neil Coutts

2nd U72 Scott Mitchell

3rd U70 Lance Fox

Adult Overall

1st 861 Nick Hall

2nd S03 Noah Hutchison

3rd U32 Neil Coutts

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