Auckland offroad racer Daynom ‘Slim’ Templeman has taken his fourth win of the punishing Woodhill 100, the fastest and toughest enduro in New Zealand offroad racing.
In a race that rewards the brave, Templeman took pole position in qualifying, pushing six-time Woodhill winner Tony McCall into second by almost four seconds: 1:36 to 1:42.
Then at the single-file race start, he sprinted ahead of McCall and 2024 winner Brendon Midgley, laying down a pace few could match.
McCall had come to the Woodhill aiming to notch up a record seven wins, but found himself defending second place from a charging Midgley.
First out of the race was Glen Sandford who smashed his steering halfway around the first lap. Arron Crabb had shown strong early pace but was slowed by mechanical issues and completed only four laps in his class three car. Nick Hall was an early favourite for class eight honours, but could only manage three laps in his Toyota Chev Prolite. The only truck to finish the event was Brad Scott in a class four.
Lurking behind the top three, Rene Sciarone settled into a steady pace as the race developed. McCall and Midgley battled over the first five laps, McCall finally breaking free to close on Templeman.
As he did so, a three-car crash at the first turn blocked the track, forcing the leaders to wait nose-to-tail as the tangle was cleared.
At the re-start, Templeman was once more able to break away. McCall had blown his power steering and was battling a failing transmission, so opted to nurse the car home and secure second place.
His job became slightly easier when Brendon Midgley crashed out on lap seven. Rene Sciarone took over third place but was not close enough to challenge McCall.
The Woodhill course comprises half sand tracks, half logging roads where the top cars can run at 180km/h or more. The sand tracks become harder to drive as the event progresses, with deep ruts developing.
Attrition ramped up to 50 per cent of the field in the closing laps.
Paul Smith locked onto fourth place, with Andrew Williams fifth in his UTV. It was a family day for Williams and teen daughter Lily: he won S class (UTV) and Lily won the Kiwitruck class enduro.
But there was no denying Daynom Templeman’s dominance of the 2025 race. He led from start to finish and defended several tough challenges from Tony McCall.
