Motorsport: Money can't buy victory

The vehicle's value doesn't always translate into points in a four-wheel-drive competition.

With vehicles varying in value from $300 through to $128,000, you might expect that the most expensive would win hands down but at the Tangiteroria round of the national four-wheel-drive competition on Sunday that wasn't the case.

The only thing in common about the 55 competing vehicles from clubs around the North Island was that they were all four-wheel-drives, and Whangarei organiser Dan Barnett said they ranged in engine output from 60 to 600 horsepower.

While last year's national champion Derek Smythe, from Wanganui, was the favourite - the sport has a habit of not following the formbook. Ron Sturme finished first overall, with Smythe second, Mitch Seymour third and Phil Conwell the C Class winner and fourth overall.

The most expensive vehicle on the course, Rueben Mason's flash truck, got a hazard all wrong and crashed out in spectacular style, failing to finish the day.

"They took a nasty roll-over off a hazard and there was a bit of concern there for a while but they were checked over by the ambulance crew and given the all-clear," Barnett said.

John Cochrane was the best of the locals with a fourth in the C Class and 15th overall, with Barnett 10th in the C Class and 34th overall and Ross Halliday 12th in the same class and 42nd overall.

In the D Class, Okaihau's Andrew Graham was 16th and 22nd overall, while Dargaville's Aaron Guest was 21st in the class and 30th overall.

Once the dust had settled, the spectators gone and the crews and competitors dispersed to the four corners of the country, the organisers and volunteers were still glowing after a successful event. After Monday's clean-up at the Pukehuia Rd farm venue, Barnett said they had been lucky with the weather.

"Everyone enjoyed the competition and it really was a very successful day - particularly with the good weather - the competitors were happy, the officials and most of all the spectators," he said.

A total of 32 difficult hazards were running over the day, - with 16 running at a time, and spectators able to follow the progress of up to eight vehicles at a time.

The competitors now have two weeks to prepare for the next round of the national competition in Waipukurau, Hawke's Bay, before the Counties round in four weeks.

Three more rounds will be held in the new year - in Taranaki, Wairarapa and the final round at Whakatane over Easter.