Local Heroes and National Champions Throw Down in Midhirst — My Take on an Epic Day of Offroad Racing - story and photos by Philip Hagan. 

What a day out at Midhirst! From the very first heat to the final lap, we saw an awesome mix of local talent and national champions going head-to-head — and I had a front-row seat to all of it.

The Taranaki drivers really turned it on for the home crowd. Lance Fox (U70), sitting third in the Ultra4 /U championship, was gunning hard all day, clearly eyeing that podium finish. Brendon Old (333), a two-time ProBuggy /3 National Champ, was absolutely flying — especially impressive given the stacked fields, with every heat starting nine cars deep! Then there was Chris Trundle (881), a true veteran, giving none other than three-time ProTruck champ Nick Hall a serious run for his money. And young Jack Rice (1NZ), the current Junior NZ Champ, showed exactly why he’s leading KiwiModified /M after round 1, fending off constant pressure from Lachlan McWatt (M31) — it was a battle worth watching every lap!

But Midhirst wasn’t just a locals’ game — the national championship contenders came to play, and they weren’t holding back. Nick Hall (861) and Chris Trundle (881) had an epic fight all day long in ProTruck /8 — and what a show they put on. Carl Ruiterman (S22), three-time Ultra4Turbo /S champ, was in a league of his own, delivering a clinic in every heat. Peter Gordon (457), the lone Raptor /4, didn’t just show up — he dominated and walked away with another trophy. Lachlan McWatt (M31) was relentless in chasing down Jack Rice, and Daynom Templeman (193) was as unchallenged as it gets in Pro1 /1, taking every heat in stride. Meanwhile, Neil Coutts (U32/NZ2), the reigning Ultra4 /U champ, was untouchable — outright wins all day and a clear grip on the class lead.

One of the standout performances for me was Mark Goldstone in ProBuggy /3 — a former Challenger champ who’s now completely owning ProBuggy, looking unstoppable.

Daynom Templeman (193) was crushing Pro1 /1, but it wasn’t without pressure. Ash Kelly (192), piloting the ex-Tony McCall VW Cougar (with that glorious three-litre engine), was pushing hard and making Daynom work for it — great to see that intensity back in the class!

ProTruck /8 was pure fireworks. Nick Hall and Chris Trundle — wow. Whatever Chris has done to that diesel Nissan Safari, it is hauling. I still can’t get over how fast that thing was moving.

Of course, no offroad race day is complete without some carnage — cars rolling, some limping home, others just plain running out of talent. That’s offroad racing. As we say, “It is what it is.” By the third heat, we were definitely seeing the toll, with fields starting to thin out.

Ultra4Turbo /S was another fun one to watch — Carl Ruiterman might have been out front, but new kids on the block like Noah Hutchinson (S02) and Jayden Cassidy (S27) were hanging on and battling each other hard. That’s how champions are made — trial by fire!

In ProLite /5, Brad Scott and his green Cougar looked fast and clean, giving Brayden Symes (548) a good fight. And running at the same time were the Challengers and Raptors. Peter Gordon, out there as the lone Raptor, was doing the Stormtrooper name proud — taking max points both rounds. The formula seems to work for now!

Speaking of lone warriors, Arnie Jones in the Baja /9 — the ex-Maurice Bain Crumco Baja — was absolutely tearing it up with that V6 Volkswagen engine. It’s quick, it’s loud, and yeah, we’d love to see him push just a bit harder, but no complaints about watching that thing fly through the air!

KiwiTruck racing was one of my personal highlights. Two divisions — the beginner /J class for the little ones, and the KiwiModified /M for the older kids who are ready to send it. Watching Jack Rice (1NZ) and Lachlan McWatt (M31) nose-to-tail all day was next level. Lachlan was all over Jack like glue — one mistake and it was his, but Jack just wasn’t giving him an inch. Fantastic stuff.

Pro1 /1 — again, Daynom Templeman is the man to beat, but Brett Vanner (152) and Ash Kelly (192) kept him honest. Good, hard racing there.

Now, one of the best moments for me was ProTruck /8 when Nick Hall and Chris Trundle went head-to-head. Something must’ve happened to Nick in Heat 4 — maybe a tangle with Trundle? — because Nick fell back, and that opened up a whole new race. Suddenly, Daynom Templeman from Pro1 /1, starting half a lap back, was catching up to Nick. So now we had a battle between two titans from different classes — and it was on. They both dug deep, and watching them slug it out was worth the price of admission alone.

And then ProBuggy /3 — what a way to finish! Brendon Old (333) nailed it from the front row in the last heat. Eight cars left, and Brendon just left them for dust. No one even close. Mark Goldstone fought through to second, and Andrew Green (341) held third like a champ.

All in all, a cracking day. Plenty of thrills, some spills, and a whole lot of fierce racing. Can’t wait for the next round!

— for further information or any comment on this story, please contact the ORANZ Promotions Officer, Tony McCall (see website for contact details)