As interim motorsport editor for NZ4WD, Sean Willmot has been more than quietly impressed with recent off-road events, the first of which was round one of the NZ 4x4 Trials held in November.
OK, I’m not a fount of motorsport knowledge like the estimable Mark Baker, but ‘my day on the farm’ at my first Trials event – as a spectator – could well see me becoming a ‘camp follower’, tracking the events as they move through the country!
Place listings for Round One are listed here, but there’s a lot more to Trials championships than winners and not.
What really impressed me at the event was not the dedication of the drivers and their brake controller/navigator, tip-over wranglers/windscreen washer/oh heck just do everything except drive left seaters.
No, it was the dedication of the spectators which really blew my mind. The fans travel up and down the country to support their favourite triallists, and it’s hard to know who has more fun.
Certainly, the fans don’t have to reach into their pockets when the driveshaft breaks, the engines overheat or the roll-cage needs erm, readjusting through ‘percussive maintenance’.
A Trials course comprises a minimum of 28 ‘hazards’ or segments identified by blue pegs with a 100 penalty points at the start.
Each vehicle negotiates the hazard marked with red and yellow pegs identifying the path the vehicle must take. The pegs cannot be flattened, straddled or runover lest they attract more penalty points.
Completing the hazard by passing through a second set of blue pegs nets a zero-penalty score with the objective of getting the lowest score possible.
At the end of the day, team scores are tallied and again, the lowest score wins.
The best way to view a Trials event – from a newbie’s perspective anyway – is find a team you like and try and follow them round the event as best you can or as long as the team can keep going.
Being completely new to the world of trails, I moved from one hazard to the next going where the most noise would hopefully lead to the most exciting photos; it did, but it leads for a heckuva good workout travelling over hill and dale!
I firmly believe trials are the one of the most civilised forms of honest motorsport – if you don’t mind getting plastered in mud.
But seriously, what other motorsport culture puts you close enough to hear drivers and navigators talking to each other about the best way to win – while they’re engaged in an actual event?
What other form of motorsport sees a high five between driver and navigator when the vehicle rolls over and points its undercarriage at the sky?
And what other form of motorsport sees spectators able to get up close and personal with home-built powerhouses as they compete?
Trials are also very well managed by helpful marshals, officials, medics and volunteers, so – although motorsport is dangerous, as we are all told – Trials have to be one of the most family-friendly events around, so check out the NZ4x4trials.co.nz website for round details. The next event – Round 3 of a six-round championship – is at Rangiwahia in the Manawatu, January 22.
