Round 6: 22 - 24TH SEPTEMBER 2017
ARB ORRS ROUND 6 – Teagle Excavations ARB Pines Enduro 400
22 - 24th SEPTEMBER 2017
The event was going to be epic right from the start, 70+ entries with over 40% of the field running Mickey Thompson tyres.
On Friday night, all teams lined up for scrutineering. Their vehicles were put on display for the large crowd of locals to see, who were keen to get up close and personal with these amazing machines.
Saturday kicked off with the Harts Transport prologue. The rain was on and off throughout the day, making conditions slippery - perfect for sideways action. Team Mickey’s Raana Horan and Mark Burrows took 2nd and 3rd places respectively.
The event then moved into the short course heats; three laps of the prologue track in heats of twelve vehicles. The event organisers, Millicent Sand Buggy Club, had arranged a big screen in the centre of the track and six cameras around the track to ensure that spectators always had the best view of the action.
Team Mickey’s Marty Scott hit a hole off-track, sending his Avenger Buggy into a six roll tumble. Both driver and navigator walked away without an issue.
Sunday kicked off with showers and wind again, making for trying conditions for teams with open cockpits. To add to all of this, a reverse grid format was in place. The attrition rate was high with vehicles having issues from gearbox failures, broken CV’s to engine failures. The heavy going in the sand within the pine forest proved tough on both man and machine.
SMU Racing’s Matt Hanson pushed out to a solid six-minute-plus lead heading into the final two laps, but unfortunately blew a power steering pump, which made the vehicle near impossible to manoeuvre through the forest. He put in a massive effort despite this and continued on.
Owen Racing’s Tyler Owen caught up to Matt, and once passed put his head down and pushed hard to make up time after seeing Matt in trouble. Tyler made up the time and crossed the line first on the road. After timing checks, it was discovered that he had beaten Matt Hanson for first place by just five seconds! This earnt Tyler his first ever outright victory, following in the footsteps of both his grandfather and uncle who have both won this event over its 40 year history.
The Mickey Thompson tyres performed faultlessly over the weekend and once again proved their toughness and reliability. Many teams not only race on them but also have them on their transport and everyday vehicles.
MOST RACERS RACE ON:
