Current Champions set to go
Saturday the 19th of June will mark the return of one of New Zealand's top offroad racing events, the Mainland Challenge.
The second South Island round of the Asset Finance National Championship will see the fastest drivers from throughout the South Island converging on the Rock Offroad Raceway on the 19th for some close, high action, shortcourse racing. This will be followed up on Sunday with a 175km enduro through farmland in Swannanoa.
Former Super 1600 champion Wayne Moriarty goes into the weekend with the championship points lead after he took the outright win in Nelson. Moriarty will have pretty tough competition though with NZ1 and NZ2 both racing the event in the Unlimited Buggy class. Although Moriarty will be significantly down on power, running a 1600cc Toyota engine, it still wouldn't be a surprise to see him come away with the round win.
Daniel Powell (white) and Dennis Andressend (blue) at 2009 Finals in Christchurch
Current NZ1 Dennis Andreassend didn't make it to the start line in Nelson after he broke at axle in his Porsche powered cougar offroader, but he will be hard to beat in Canterbury. Daniel Powell currently holds the NZ2 title and knows a thing or two about winning, as he won the championship in 2008. Since then Powell has thrown an extra hundred or so horsepower into the mighty Jimco, but may struggle to get much of it to the ground if the track is wet.
Newcomer to the sport Hamish Lawlor could cause a real upset in his Australian designed Barracuda. Lawlor qualified on pole in Nelson but lost the lead after making a wrong turn at the start of the race. The Suzuki powered Class 10 boast an amazing power to weight ratio with over 200hp and weighing around 500kg. Diminishing points may be the only thing that stops Lawlor from having a real chance at the title.
Although Moriarty is clear favourite in Super 1600, he may not have it all his own way. Current Super 1600 champion Nigel Sutherland will be doing his best to keep his title for another year.
Grant Adamson took second in Nelson and is also likely to be competitive at the Mainland. Bruce Rolls didn't make it to Nelson but could sweep in and take the win. Rolls is currently racing the ex Andreassend V-Tech Honda and rumour has it there’s been a fair bit of work done to the car since it was last raced, so he will certainly be someone to keep an eye on.
Class 4, Sports trucks, may surprise everyone by providing the most exciting racing of the weekend. The class has seen significant growth in the last couple of years and has suddenly boomed this year to become one of the strongest classes in the country. Nissan Terranos seem to be the weapon of choice with last years champion Simon Smith and Nelson president Clayton Burrows building new ones this year. Burrow's has since sold his truck but the new owner is expected to race in Canterbury. Nelson's Darrin Thomason will also be showing off his new Nissan Titan bodied truck. Thomason's old truck is likely to be racing at the hands on Paul Milne who won the class in Nelson. With so many new vehicles it really is anybody’s guess as to who will win this class.
The Mainland Challenge will also feature racing from all other major offroad racing classes as well as the always entertaining atv's. Racing starts at 11.30 on Saturday and 12 noon on Sunday. This is sure to be one of the most action packed spectacles this country has ever seen and for only $10 a person.
Scott Campbell
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