The day might not have gone so well for local hopes Nathan Fogden and Mike Gibbons, but the Bay of Plenty round of the New Zealand 4x4 Trial on Rangiuru Rd on March 23 was a huge success.

The series comprises one-day events where drivers and co-drivers negotiate a number of hazards. Each event has overall points and class winners Fogden and Gibbons are chasing their fifth title in the sport’s second-tier C Class, but after a disappointing start to the season, needed a win in Sunday’s penultimate round of the six-round series.

Little errors

Instead, it was Whakatāne’s Shayne Towers and co-driver Tony Hadland who won the class, finishing fourth overall.

“We had a really good day, we just made a couple of little errors but nothing that was too costly,” said Fogden.

“But you’ve got to take your hat off to [Towers and Hadland] – they were battling issues with the truck all day and they got it back on, and the result they needed, so congrats to them.

“That will make it pretty difficult for us to win the New Zealand title now.”

National champion Scott Biggs and co-driver Philip Walton get some air. Photo / Stuart Whitaker

In the premier and most popular D Class, it was Jarred Biggs and Fletche Crawford who took the honours making it back to back wins in the series.

The Chris Gifford/Sam Thomsen combination was second, and national champion Scott Biggs, with co-driver Philip Walton, in third.

Fantastic support

Run every other year on the Powdrell family farm, Fogden said Sunday’s event had fantastic support from the local community as well as local businesses and naming sponsor BF Goodrich Tires.

“And the crowd was the biggest we have ever had up there.”

He said food vendors also had a fantastic day.

Hosted by the Bay of Plenty Four Wheel Drive club, a small team that works very hard to stage the event, with many of them putting in a huge amount of work in the lead-up and then being on-site until last on Sunday starting with the clean-up.

Shayne Towers and Tony Hadland took out C Class. Photo / Stuart Whitaker

“That’s all in the background that nobody sees,” said Fogden.

A donation will be made to Waipuna Hospice from money raised by Sunday’s event.

The final round of the series will be at Manawahe on April 12.