Story and photos by Andrew Gee

The 2016-17 series of the Club Truck Challenge (CTC) has been the best ever, and we finished the series having run six rounds this year. 

That’s the most events in a series so far and brilliant that we had six 4WD clubs lining up to put on better and better events. Thanks to the Central Zone of the NZFWDA which continues to financially underwrite the series so that a club is not out of pocket after putting on an event.

First time to Taihape

The CTC went to Taihape for the first time, at Trials competitor  Dave Hintz's farm.  Phil, Chris, Brendan and Hintzy pegged out hazards the week before, then we had a week of  Ozzie cyclone over the country to completely change the complexion of the land. 

Phil and Ella represented the Wanganui club this weekend to put on this round.  A month earlier they were Manawatu members and put on the final round of the National Trials championship in Palmerston North.  Long may their enthusiasm last. 

Everyone arrived on Saturday morning and we kicked off  with eight hazards and a speed section for the first day of competition.  The hazards were good, longer than normal and no ridiculous bog sections, a sign of the experience of the people who were involved.

Feeling deflated

I plugged on through the day but found that I had a puncture before the speed hazard, which was the last hazard for the day.  I took a chance to just blow up the tyre and hope for the best but it was so wet and with a deflating tyre I speared off the course and then couldn't swing into the finishing garage without reversing and losing a ton of time. 

Mark was pleased because his Bighorn was running awfully and in the same speed hazard it stopped three times; he should have just wound it around on the starter motor.  After the first day of competition it was 1st Dave McGinnity, 2nd Marty Green and 3rd Mark Smith.

The farm had excellent shearer's quarters although my bunkroom seemed to house a few savage chainsaws during the night.  Alan and Shona got the honeymoon suite to celebrate another wedding anniversary. 

All the trimmings

Dinner was catered by Hintzy with the help of some local ladies who produced all the trimmings in enough quantities to do lunch the next day as well.  After dinner Gail Smith and Dave McGinnity reminisced about the early days of 4WD Trials, and we are really looking forward to Gail's book about the history of Trialing in NZ.

Steve broke a front axle in his Nissan late on Saturday and thought that he was out but as luck would have it Hintzy had a Patrol in the shed and it was fixed on Sunday morning. 

For Sunday we ran another seven hazards and repeated the same speed section.  The hill climbs were still wet and zeros only possible by a couple of machines. 

Sunday had another head scratching ungraded sidle hazard; to me it looked like there was only one line that you took two pegs but Marty was able to cling on to only take one peg. 

We finished the day early and had another barby while the final series results were calculated and we pondered some rule and specification changes.

Next Series

The calendar is filling out nicely for the 2017 -18 series. Definite dates so far are 14 October 2017 to be held by Mt Egmont Club and 11 November 2017 to be held by Wellington Jeep Club.  

We are hoping to start the next CTC series in September again like this year but that round is yet to be confirmed.   Desert Defenders and Wairarapa 4x4 Club have also expressed an intention to hold a round next year to give us another full calendar. 

You have a few months to dial in your registered and warranted machine to join a competitive series that is easily achievable in your club vehicle.

Check for the latest info on www.czctc.org.nz.

Ends

2016/17 CENTRAL ZONE CLUB TRUCK CHALLENGE RND 6 TAIHAPE MAY

Top five results

Series overall

At Round 6 there were 15 people who had entered  three or more rounds which put them in the running for a series position.  Taking their three best scores gave us the following winners in each class.

To read every story in the July 2017 issue of NZ4WD go to Zinio.com (June 16) or purchase your own hard copy at the Adrenalin store.