The Suzuki Extreme 4x4 Challenge is one of the most entertaining motorsport events in New Zealand, reckons NZ4WD’s Ashley Lucas, who reports from this year’s event.

Like the Monster Jam series on TV3’s CRC Motorsport, the annual Suzuki Extreme 4x4 event is filmed for TV and therefore guarantees maximum entertainment with rollovers, air time and high adrenalin. But you have to be there to smell the petrol fumes and hot baking mud!

Held at Dan Cowper’s Turakina property for the fifth consecutive year, the venue offers very easy access and good viewing of all the action with spectators just metres away from their favourite team. For 2019 Dan bought a digger and spent some time making up the 10 courses that would challenge the competitors. At first the climbs and turns seemed virtually impossible but somehow these little purpose-built vehicles defy the laws of physics and at times literally fly through.

Also for 2019 the 10 competitors were the actual top 10 finishers from the NZFWDA 4x4 Trials series for 2018/2019. Scott Biggs won the double last year by taking out the NZFWDA 4x4 Trials Championship series and also the Suzuki Extreme 4x4 and had just managed to secure the title win again for 2019 in the final round setting his brother Jarred back into second for the season. 

Battle of the builders

This year’s event also turned out to be a battle of the vehicle builders with Dan Cowper building the Cowper Trucks while Scott Biggs is behind the building of the Nitro Customs vehicles. 

To the event though and the format is simple; there are 10 starters, 10 purpose built courses, each with 10 ‘gates’ worth 100 points each (maximum 1000 per course) with the winner the driver/co-driver combo which accrues the most points during the day. 

The starting order for the first course would be the order they finished in the 4x4 Trials season in and then the second placed would start on the second course ensuring that every competitor had a chance at being first and last on a course.

Course 1 “ARB Accessories Get a Grip” 

First up was Scott Biggs and Phillip Walton in “Nitro,” however they succumbed to a dirt mound and bellied out due to taking it too slow. Jarred Biggs and Fleche Crawford were next in their Nitro Customs vehicle called “Boosted” (due to the supercharged LS2 V8 engine putting out 671kW/900hp) and took it faster only to go wide at the bottom and get caught in the boundary tape. 

The rules allowed them to stop and be restarted to continue the course but they would only get half points for the remainder of the gates cleared. Restarting, Jarred launched “Boosted” up the first climb only to nose dive hard into the bank, breaking the steering. Hamish Auret and Paul Barnes in the 222 Racing Cowper Truck would fail the last hill, standing the vehicle on its rear wheels before rolling over backwards. Derek Smyth with Co-driver Todd Charman in “Thunder” together with Rowan Huckstep and Hendrik Hofstee in “Mad Cow” would lead with 900 points each.

Course 2 “Broadway Accounting Solutions Collateral Damage” 

This course had the teams crossing some muddy sections then negotiate a steep hill, turn and head back down before a final very steep climb. With Jarred Biggs away fixing his vehicle Neville Mather and Richard Verner in “Nitro 3” were first up with a clear run and 1000 points. Stuart Earle with Dan Cowper as co-driver were competing in Dan’s former vehicle “Wolverine” also put on a perfect drive for a clear round along with Hamish Auret and Derek Smyth. 

Jarred Biggs came back in time to do the course but because he was out of start order he received only half points again leaving in 10th place with only 950 points. Derek Smyth would hold top position on 1900 points with Stuart Earle next on 1800.

Course 3 “Brunton Engineering Moments of Inertia” 

There was more mud here followed by an off-camber face sidling before a winding steep climb. Jarred Biggs arrived at the starting gate with a helper on the back pouring water into the radiator as it was coming out the front as fast as it was going in due to a broken thermostat housing. 

The mud nearly stopped him but Jarred made good use of the supercharger and ploughed through though caught a couple of gates before getting caught out on the start of the steep climb and nearly rolling. With only 400 points, however, he would languish in 10th place. 

Greg McDell and Chris McDell in the “Killer Bee” Cowper Truck put on a good show sliding along the off-camber section sideways clearing the gates but the front reared up and in the process of eliminating a rollover they hit gates five and six though went on to finish with 800 points. Four pairings – those of Scott Biggs, Hamish Auret, Rowan Huckstep and Derek Smyth – would top score with 900 points each leaving Derek a 200 point lead over Stuart Earle and Rowan Huckstep second equal and Hamish Auret fourth.

Course 4 “Goodmans Highway to Hell” 

This was a difficult course with steps up and down before a final step climb to the top. The steps were soft and it was hard to imagine anyone actually achieving full points. However five would go through clear including Russell Luders and Chris Tomalin in “The General” another Cowper truck. Getting to the top meant plenty of horsepower, noise and lots of wheel standing and air time. Jarred was still getting water into “Boosted” on the start line but managed a clear run along with ‘bro Scott Biggs who now moved up to fourth position 400 points off the leader Derek Smyth.

Course 5 “Biggs Construction King of the Hammers” 

Another course Dan had been busy on with the digger, creating some interesting holes and angles. The start was off the top and down an almost vertical drop into water, then a loop back to weave up and down through the ‘hollows’ and ‘V’ gullies before finishing back at the top. No one managed the perfect score on this one with Rowan Huckstep top scoring 900 and then back flipped rolled before the final gate.

Jarred Biggs was another to rollover but still managed 800 points lifting him up to ninth position. Derek Smyth would also end up on his side on the final section but still came away with 800 points and held on to his lead by just 300 points. Stuart and Dan would only get 300 points dropping them to fourth place. Ominously, Scott Biggs moved up the leader board to third. 

Midway point

Now at the midway stage there was a short break for lunch. By having the points available at the end of each course and a running overall position the excitement was always there for drivers and spectators alike. Knowing their actual positions probably played with the competitors minds as they battled the course and each other as well.

Course 6 “Hermansen Contracting Wheels of Fortune” 

This was a return to the tyres that had to be driven over, not once but twice and since there was water on the course the tyres would be wet and slippery. Kevin “Hermie” Hermansen was offering a bonus prize of a ‘hundy’ in cash to every competitor who successfully did the double over the tyres. First up was Derek Smyth who succumbed to the tyres and sat on top like a beached whale along with Russell Luders, with Rowan giving it a good attempt before falling off to the side. Stuart Earle was the first to get over with a spectacular jump but fell off to the side on the return. 

Dave McKie then stepped up and with a great drive took the 1000 points and the first ‘Hermei Hundy’. Straight afterwards both the Biggs brothers and Hamish Auret also relieved Hermie of his cash. The competition was heating up with Scott Biggs and Derek Symth now equal joint leaders and Hamish Auret 250 points further back in third.

Course 7 “Mickey Thompson Tires 4x4 Gymkhana” 

This was the only timed course for the day with the competitors driving around man-made berms trying to stay out of the water then up the hill for a figure eight around pegs and a flying finish. The scores were based on the fastest time getting 1000 and dropping backwards from there. 

Victory here went to Scott Biggs with a time of 29.78, the only one to go under the 30 seconds barrier. Unfortunately for Derek Smyth he rolled it up hill on the first peg and failed to record a time putting him back in third place.

Course 8 “Ashurst Engineering and Construction Nerves of Steel” 

There was a jump to start with on this section then some dugouts and down into the mud, turn around and a deep muddy crevasse to climb out to the finish.  It was extremely wet at the bottom and the mud quickly covered vehicle, drivers, spectators and photographers alike as the horsepower was applied to climb the crevasse. 

Greg McDell did a stunning rollover landing onto his wheels and continued on through the course without stopping. Unfortunately there were no bonus points for his showmanship. Dave McKie succumbed to the swamp before the crevasse resulting in low points while Hamish and Jarred managed clear runs and full points.

Course 9 “BB Construction No Time for Smoko” 

The penultimate course had a bit of everything, and was probably one of the toughest all day with an angled up and over, tricky sidling and a steep drop off followed by a steep climb with a corkscrew jump to finish. Always a good course with that jump at the top. 

Greg and Chris McDell in “Killer Bee” would be the only ones to collect full points on this one. Jarred Biggs also went clear but he started last and out of order after having electrical issues with the vehicle and therefore only got half points.  Scott Biggs was still leading overall on 7500 points with Hamish close behind on 7450. Third equal were Neville Mather and Rowan Huckstep on 6700.

Course 10 “Optimo Heavy Duty Grime Time”

And yes, by the time it was all over they all needed the Optimo washing powder and fabric softener, due to the massive long mud run from one side to the other followed by a steep hill climb with a vertical face near the top. 

First up Dave McKie in “The Riddler” drove the steep hill easily but had hit a peg in the mud. Scott Biggs managed to leap over the finish for 900 points while Greg McDell hit the power too early and spun 90 degrees.

Hamish Auret needed a clear run to take the lead from Scott but hitting a peg and too much mud on the hill and vertical face meant he had to settle on 800 points and second place overall. Neville Mather also failed the steep climb to finish with 900 and take third place outright.

So, for the second year in succession Scott Biggs achieved the double, taking both titles again for 2019 and once again denying a Cowper Truck a win at their own event, with Nitro first and third and a Cowper Truck second.

At the prize giving Greg McDell received the award for Best Rollover while Russell Luders got the Best Presented Team with The General. Best in Show went to Jarred Biggs.

Thanks again to Dan Cowper for yet another awesome monster jammed packed event.