Auret and Biggs race for 4x4 title goes to wire

The spectacular roll that cost Hamish Auret at the fifth round of the National 4x4 Championships in Inglewood on Saturday. Photo by Shazam Photography

The intense rivalry between Whanganui's Hamish Auret and Auckland's Scott Biggs took another twist at the penultimate round of the National 4x4 Trials at Taranaki's Inglewood on Saturday.

Defending champion Auret came into the fifth round, hosted by Mt Egmont 4WD, with the slight points lead thanks to his victory at the previous event in Rangiwahia, as he is the only D Class driver to finish in the Top 5 of every round.

However, driver's drop their worst result from their final season tally and Biggs, a three time series runnerup, previously had one bad round but was otherwise still in a strong spot with two wins.

Biggs' spot was strengthened as Auret and co-driver Paul Barnes would rue a crucial rollover on the ungraded eighth obstacle, which was the fourth hazard they tackled in the afternoon session.

Hurricanes winger Vince Aso became a hero in Wellington on Saturday night with his spectacular upside-down diving try against the Highlanders, but for Auret, his highlight-reel inverted action had significant consequences.

"You're still a hero with the crowd on the day, but you realise how costly it can be," he said.

The team took the maximum 100 penalty points for the hazard, which opened the door for Biggs to take the lead.

"We made one more mistake after that, we were trying too hard to make up the points, which weren't really there," said Auret.

"We had the lead at lunchtime, we had Scott really worried. It stuffed it, really."

Auret finished third for D Class and third overall on the day with 340.8 penalty points, with Biggs winning the round with only 220.4 points, while Hamilton's Russell Luders was second with 278.9 – which increased the season points spread between Biggs and Auret.

"It does make it tough for me for the championship," he said.

The other season title contender, Manukau's Phillip Walton, finished well back in the pack in 24th, which means the crown will be decided solely between Auret and Biggs when the final round is hosted by his home Wanganui 4WD club on April 14.

"We have to win it. [Biggs] just has to finish no worse than sixth," Auret said.

"We'll leave it all out there, do our best and hope he makes a mistake."

Both drivers have been pushing it all season, as Biggs has built new trucks annually but still finished with 2NZ for three straight years, behind Auret twice and Turakina's Dan Cowper.

Cowper, who took part in the January round in the Hawke's Bay in a borrowed C-Class truck, made his return to D Class competition in his V8-powered truck and finished fifth overall with 380.4 penalty points.

Of the other Whanganui connections, Mike Gee-Taylor was 15th in D Class and 17th overall with 585.7 penalty points, while Grant Harrison was fifth in C Class and 32nd overall with 993.8 points.