The second round of the 2020-21 Central Zone Club Truck Challenge was hosted by series’ stalwarts, the Hintz family at their property near Taihape on Sunday Jan 17. Andrew Gee reports (from the front line!).

The Club Truck Challenge (CTC) is a series of driving tests that you attempt individually while the others wait for their turn. As such it reminds me of the episodic nature of a comic strip. In fact, that would be a good way to present competitors doing a hazard, if only I had the talent to draw it. Imagine a caricature of someone very keen at the start, changing facial expression as you move though the hazard to happiness at success or disappointment should you fail.

Dave and Grace Hintz did the hard work and pegged out the hazards on their farm north of Taihape. The hazards were longer than normal but as Hintzy (or someone, anyway, said recently); “It’s longer but I make it fun.” Too true as he likes to gun it in the V8 Nissan. I said I like to get there early, have a muffin and relax. NZTA said slow the truck down. See your tax dollars in action www.nzta.govt.nz/safety/driving-safely/speed/speed-ads/apprentice.

Like daughter, like father

Dave Smithson came out for another run, this time bringing his whole family and entering his daughter Natasha in her own wagon, another Class 2 Pajero. Natasha gave it everything and had no fear of flying that’s for sure.

We started with two speed sections in the hay paddock but not before Hintzy explained the cost of a plastic wrapped hay bale and how cutting the wrap ruined them, so you bash it, you bought it. Dave Seymour came hard out of the gate in his Series Land Rover and set the fastest time on both speed sections, not bad for something out of a museum. 

Later in the day Hintzy was just driving along when the end of his steering box blew clean off. Hard work, handy spare parts and a cast of thousands had him rolling again. He cracked on to catch up and finished the day in first place.

Natasha Smithson was extremely competitive, sizing up the terrain and the competitors and already using the advanced technique of only comparing the difference of your score (the delta) to other close competitors, notably good old dad. Hintzy had done a good job on the hazard design to keep it achievable so at lunch four competitors were all within 50 points.

This round was held so soon after Christmas that we had happy families still spending time together; to whit, the Stewarts father and son, Hintzs’ mother and son, father and daughter, Seymour brothers and son, Smithson father and daughters and the Watchorn brothers.

This, along with the number of female competitors, is one of the strong points of our series.

Speaking of which, there are still three rounds remaining in this year’s CZCTC series with a planned return to Taihape for the final round in May.