Ruiterman Conquers the Carnage at Golden Downs in Gruelling Ruff 'n Tuff Enduro

Golden Downs Forest, Nelson — June 21, 2025

The 2025 Ruff ’n Tuff Offroad Racing Enduro has lived up to its brutal reputation, delivering 240km of unrelenting punishment through Golden Downs Forest as Round 6 of the CT Civil New Zealand Offroad Racing Championship. Yesterday, 30 of the country’s toughest offroad racers took to the sodden, wind-battered tracks — and only the Tuff survived.

When the mud settled, national champion Carl Ruiterman (S22) emerged victorious, completing all 12 laps and once again proving why he wears the NZ1 plate. He was followed closely by Ash Kelly (192) and Daynom Templeman (193), both also clocking 12 laps in a high-speed, high-attrition battle through the forest.

Only 26 of the 34 starters made it past the halfway point, with nine competitors failing to finish — several retiring early due to mechanical failure or incidents in the treacherous terrain. The forest proved unforgiving, with bent rims, shredded tires, and battered suspension systems common across the paddock. Flat tires, often ignored in desperation, were seen destroying rims and turning wheels into shrapnel.

The relentless nature of the course — likened by racers to driving from Nelson to Kaikoura on gravel — took as much toll on the drivers as the machines. Many struggled to maintain focus through the conditions that led to costly misjudgments. For some, it was not the car that gave out — it was the human behind the wheel.

Despite this, the nation’s elite offroaders brought fierce competition. Racers from the North Island descended on Nelson to challenge the local South Island contingent. But the cold, rough terrain gave the edge to the Southerners familiar with these conditions, who made their presence known throughout the field.

Notable performances included Dyson Delahunty (U87) in fourth with 11 laps, followed by Slim Slee (165), Dale McKenzie (858), and Kadin Thomason (U45), all of whom endured to cross the line with 11 completed circuits. Michael Green (U29), Jacob Brownlees (U28), and Keegan Terrell (U81) rounded out the top ten.

In the end, it was a race that delivered everything its name promised — Ruff. Tuff. And unrelentingly brutal.


Official Results: CT Civil NZ Offroad Racing Championship – Round 6 – Ruff ’n Tuff 2025

  1. Carl Ruiterman (S22) – 12 laps
  2. Ash Kelly (192) – 12 laps
  3. Daynom Templeman (193) – 12 laps
  4. Dyson Delahunty (U87) – 11 laps
  5. Slim Slee (165) – 11 laps
  6. Dale McKenzie (858) – 11 laps
  7. Kadin Thomason (U45) – 11 laps
  8. Michael Green (U29) – 11 laps
  9. Jacob Brownlees (U28) – 11 laps
  10. Keegan Terrell (U81) – 10 laps
  11. David Templeman (S91) – 10 laps
  12. Wayne Spicer (S07) – 10 laps
  13. Kevin Cooper (398) – 10 laps
  14. Louis Carlyle (122) – 10 laps
  15. John Hodgson (1006) – 10 laps
  16. Martin van der Wal (866) – 10 laps
  17. Grant Rosenburg (898) – 9 laps
  18. Liam Earle (385) – 9 laps
  19. Geoff Densem (S77) – 9 laps
  20. Chris Eldridge (366) – 9 laps
  21. Sareena Paterson (170) – 9 laps
  22. Todd Graham (107) – 8 laps
  23. Donald Preston (166) – 8 laps
  24. Arron Crabb (357) – 7 laps            DNF: Clint Densem (S06), Tim Culling (S46), Alan Saunders (348), Scott Munro (S83), Nick Leahy (887), Bruce McKeown (843), Grant Adamson (375), Karlos McKay, Andrew Green (341)


The fastest offroad racers from across the country hit Nelson’s forests for the 2025 Ruff ‘n’ Tuff Enduro

- Round 6 of the CT CIVIL New Zealand Offroad Racing Championship.

Racing starts 11am on Saturday 21 June!

It’s a 240km Forest enduro that pushes cars and drivers to their limits!

And it’s a FREE event for Spectators!

Head to Spooner’s Range. Follow the signs from the Wakefield to Kohatu Highway into the Golden State Forest.


Mickey Thompson New Zealand Offroad Grand Prix – Round 1 of the CT Civil New Zealand Offroad Racing Championship & Introducing the Dunlop Rally-SprintDate: Saturday, 1st February 2025Time: 10:30amLocation: Colin Dale Park, 87 Prices Road, Wiri, AucklandHosted by: Counties Manukau Offroad Racing Club

Only Days to Go – Don’t Miss the Thrill!

The countdown is on for the Mickey Thompson New Zealand Offroad Grand Prix, taking place this Saturday, 1st February at Colin Dale Park, Manukau. This is your chance to witness some of the most exciting off-road racing in New Zealand as the CT Civil New Zealand Offroad Racing Championship kicks off with a bang! Racing starts at 10:30am – so make sure you're there to see all the high-speed action!


THE HOME OF OFF ROAD RACING IN NEW ZEALAND

Off road racing is New Zealand’s most exciting, friendly and dirty motorsport, with people from all ages and backgrounds coming together to race modified vehicles through sand, bush and farmland in short course and endurance formats.

Drivers build or buy their vehicles, making extensive modifications to suspension, drive trains and powerplants. Often a family tradition, many competitions include second and third-generation racers. 

ORANZ oversees the National Series and provides support to the 10 local clubs around New Zealand. The 13 ORANZ National Series classes cater for different types of vehicles and levels of modification.

ABOUT ORANZ​​​​​​​


ORANZ was founded in 1984 as the governing body for an exciting new sport. Since then off road racing has expanded into a strong community of drivers and enthusiasts, with ORANZ guiding the professionalism and safety of the sport. Run in partnership with local off road racing clubs, the ORANZ National Off Road Racing Series attracts drivers from all over New Zealand.

Back in In the early 80s, with a passion for off road racing and as organiser of the Bug Inn VW racing events, Ian Foster was hungry to win a New Zealand title. A national title required a national body, so he invited people from clubs all over the country to the Raceway Motel in Taupō and formed ORANZ. The hotel proprietor, Mr Barry Burgess, donated the National Champion Trophy, which is still presented each season to the driver with the largest accumulated points total of the season.

PREMIER SPONSOR​​​​​​​​​​​​​

CT Civil are a sewer and stormwater contractor, specialising in desludging, dredging, stormwater & sewer rehabilitation, lightweight grout and trenchless pipe installation. 

The generous ongoing support of CT Civil is integral to the success of off road racing in New Zealand and enables ORANZ to provide professional support to our local clubs nationwide.

OUR SERIES PARTNERS
There is no sport without sponsorship! We appreciate the ongoing support of our series partners.

Enter online, and stay up to date with the latest driver information.

View the official 2025 CT Civil ORANZ National Championship race dates and the 2025 CT Civil individual New Zealand Title race dates. 

ORANZ NATIONAL SERIES RACE CLASSES​​​​​​​
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Space frame Offroad Race Car with unlimited modifications to suspension, drive train and powerplant.

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Space frame Offroad Race Car, 1640cc maximum displacement engines of any manufacturer, unlimited suspension and drivetrain modifications​​​​​​​.

Modified Production 4×4 vehicles. Limited engine modifications and unlimited suspension modifications.​​​​​​​

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Space frame Offroad Race Car, 1321cc maximum displacement engines of any manufacturer, unlimited suspension and drive train modifications.​​​​​​​

Space Frame Offroad Race Car. Standard air-cooled VW 1200cc engine, Standard VW Swing-Axle Gearbox, Standard VW 1960’s Kombi Front Suspension.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Unlimited modification 4×4 or 2wd Truck class. Any engine configuration, any Drivetrain, any suspension modifications.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Baja Bug Class, Full car body of any manufacturer on the standard manufacturers floor pan (chassis or sub-frame). unlimited engine, drivetrain and suspension modifications.

Space frame Offroad Race Car, Motorcycle engine, no engine size limits, unlimited modifications to suspension, drive train and powerplant.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Space Frame Offroad Race Car. Standard air-cooled VW 1600cc engine, Standard VW Swing-Axle Gearbox, Standard VW 1960’s Kombi Front Suspension.
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Exhibition Class





Approved Factory produced naturally aspirated UTV up to 1000cc. No engine modifications, standard transmission and clutch. Some bolt on modifications permitted.​​​​​​​

Modified UTVs from approved manufacturers up to 1500cc for naturally aspirated engines or up to 1000cc factory production turbo engines.

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Junior Kiwi Truck. Single seat mini race truck with 9hp 270cc 4 stroke. Restricted to minimum age of 6 years old to maximum of 15 years old.
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Modified Kiwi Truck. Single seat mini race truck with 200cc 4 stroke farm bike motor. Restricted to minimum age of 10 years old to maximum of 15 years old.

DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL ORANZ APP​​​​​​​

Get the latest off road race events, alerts and drivers updates direct to your phone. Download on the App Store or Google Play.