The 50th National Final for the Lucas Oil NZ 4×4 Trials Series takes place this Saturday, near Whakatane down in Rotoma.
50 YEARS
Since 1975, four-wheel driving in New Zealand has evolved over 50 years with NZ 4×4 Trials leading the way in innovation, pushing the boundaries year upon year on where four wheels can take you! From Jeep’s & Land Rover’s being the vehicle of choice in the early 70’s, the rise of the little Suzuki Jimny into the 80’s, to when things started heating up with more Homebuilt creations leaving humble sheds.
Before the big aftermarket scene today, DIY was the nature of the game with people often having to create solutions or repurposing items to suit what we would now buy ‘off the shelf’ today:
From Cowper Lockers in the 1980’s and Ball Bearing Lockers in the 1990’s – Before ARB introduced the Air Locker… To when we did one better with the Hydraulic Locker in the early 2000’s…. Custom made low ratio transfer case gears in the 1990’s before they were mass produced… Hydraulic steering often seen in forklifts, now on the front of buggies towards the late 1990’s… Rolling up lengths of flat steel to turn into bands for Beadlock Rims… just to name a few!
These bits of kiwi ingenuity still roam around today, often seen in club trucks as technology gets passed down as the new makes its way through.
Title Fight! (1st-4th)
Heading into the final round there is only ONE point separating the Top 3
Jarred Biggs & Fleche Crawford in Hot Wheels lead the way after coming alive in the second half of the season.
A two-time 2NZ as well as 3NZ, the Counties team are in their best position yet to claim that elusive 1NZ crown!
Their radical Nitro Customs buggy made its debut last season sitting close to 1000kgs with its 454ci V8, the weight of a C Class buggy with the displacement last seen in a Truk! Despite showing signs of promise with a couple podiums last season, like all new builds they endured teething issues as they ultimately finished 8th overall.
On top of it all and on the strongest form, the results keep coming in having finished 2nd at Round 3, before taking out the win at Round 4 & 5.
Mitch Caldow & Jamie Elms have kept up the consistency in Mad Wolf to be tied on points with J. Biggs & Crawford heading into the final round.
Caldow is no stranger to the top step, having won the title as a co-driver with Sam Thomsen in 2022 & 2023.
Winning on their D Class debut behind the wheel last season and finishing 5th outright, Caldow & Elms have been a steady force at the top this season with two podiums & a win at Round 2. Their consistency at the last two rounds has helped keep them in the mix against the improving results of Biggs & Crawford.
Unlike the former with the latest from Nitro Customs, the team from the Manawatu are using the ex Dan Cowper CowperTruck which made its debut back in 2015, some 9 years ago! Largely unchanged since then, it’s a testament to the design as well as Caldow & Elm’s skills that the ‘old dog’ is still in the hunt – considering the oldest Trials Truck to ever win a title was 8 years old, in a record still standing from 2006.
Ash Tonkin & Dyon Ross sit one point behind in Redback.
After being in title contention last season, they were tied for 3NZ only to lose it on countback.
Hitting this season strong the Thames Valley team won the first round at Hawkes Bay, following with two podiums keeping up their consistent results.
The ex-Derek Smyth Nitro Customs is the only buggy featuring four-wheel-steer within the Top 10, giving Tonkin & Ross another trick up their sleeve compared to the competition – That said, a 4WS buggy hasn’t won the title since 1999!
Also in title contention with an outside shot, relying on a win and the Top 3 to do no better than their worst score is…
Chris Gifford & Sam Thomsen in The Punisher sitting five points back from the leaders.
Last season Gifford with Shaun Joblin alongside finished 6th outright with two podiums to their name
In his second season in the Nitro Customs buggy, Gifford has also had a strong second half to season finishing third at Round 4 and second at Round 5.
The L98 powered buggy has become a regular fixture in the Top 10, having never finished a day outside of the Top 9! Former 1NZ Driver & Co-Driver Sam Thomsen joined the Waikato team last round in his season of musical chairs, filling in with Scott Dickson for Round 1 & 2 and then Scott Biggs at Round 4. Together at Round 5 they finished within a shot of the win, ultimately claiming second in a good warm up for the Final!
Safe as houses (5th & 6th)
Five teams have already secured a spot within the Top 10 thanks to strong performances across the five rounds to date. With Gifford & Thomsen already dropping a round, sees two safe entries from the Counties 4 Wheelers.
Defending champs Scott Biggs & Phil Walton are out of the running to defend their crown, with a best-case scenario of 3NZ – if they take their first win of the season back where they scored their last, at happy hunting grounds in Rotoma!
After starting the season strong tied with Caldow and Tonkin after the first two rounds, a drop in form in the Manawatu, finishing outside of the Top 10 at Round 3 & 4 put a damper on their season. Making changes at Round 5 saw the Counties team bounce back with third – As they are back to shake up the order for the Top 4.
Dave McKie & Reece McKie took their first win in Sniper back at Round 3 this season. Following it up with two finishes in 10th to rewarding them with a secure spot in the Top 10.
After a topsy-turvy debut for their brand new Nitro Customs last season, they only managed one Top 10 finish battling though numerous teething issues. With everything ironed out we’ve seen the McKie’s of old, with their steady performances that saw them claim five Top 10’s from six seasons!
The Challengers (7th – 13th)
Yet to secure a spot in the Top 10 are seven teams from the North Island. With six already using their ‘drop round’, not only is it a battle to finish first, but it is also a battle to finish in order to claim a result for the season.
Tied on points with the McKie’s but losing out on countback is Whanganui’s Scott Dickson & Caitlyn Thomsen in the Rock’n’Horse.
Starting the season strong with two fourth places and ninth at Round 4 sees them hold onto seventh outright by a single point.
With regular Co-Driver Mike Thomsen out for the season, sister Caitlyn (and defending 2NZ Co-Driver!) has filled in for the season.
Leading the way as best of the rest, only a DNF sees them at risk of losing out to the other contenders.
After a faulty fly-by-wire throttle robbed them of their day at Round 1, Wayne Weatherly & Tayla Weatherly in The Reaper haven’t looked back as they’re the most consistent team finishing in the Top 10 at the last four rounds.
Their second season in the ex-Neville Mather Nitro Customs has seen a night & day difference compared to the last, as they only claimed one finish at the Top 10 back in 2023.
Coming off with their best result of the season in 5th at Round 5, the Eastern Bay team are primed for the opportunity to jump further up the order.
One of three Homebuilt buggies in with a shot is Chris Tomalin & Richard Verner in The Ninja.
A fourth & fifth placing at Round 2 & 3 has been their highlight so far this season, as Tomalin looks to crack the Top 10 for the first time since 2005!
After coming close in 2023 with 11th, former 2NZ Co-Driver Richard Verner has joined alongside this season which has seen an upturn in the consistency of results for the Waikato team.
Representing C Class in the second Homebuilt entry is Shayne Towers & Tony Hadland in Mud Taxi
The local team from the next round at the Eastern Bay have finished in the Top 10 three times this season, with their best result coming at the last round where they finished within a whisker of the Top 3!
Just a point behind Tomalin & Verner, the team are sure to fly the flag high for the ‘mighty 4-bangers’ as C Class looks to get representation back in the Top 10.
Phil Cameron & Todd Charman sit 11th and six points behind Towers & Hadland.
Still in with a mathematical chance of finishing as high as 6th Overall, Cameron & Charman’s most realistic chance of finishing in the Top 10 two seasons in a row relies on another placing in the Top 5.
That isn’t out of the question for the South Waikato team, as they have enjoyed a resurgence in the second half of the season finishing fifth & seventh in the last two rounds.
Nathan Fogden & Mike Gibbons in the Zook-Sport Cowper Truck are also still within a chance of the Top 10.
After missing the first round due to an unexpected engine rebuild, they bounded back to 8th at Round 2, finishing 8th again at Round 5.
Sitting 12 points adrift of 10th place, they’ll have to push hard to if they wish to sneak into the Top 10.
Brent Ward & Mickey Ward in the Homebuilt Fooken Buggy are 13th with just one Top 10 placing to their name.
17 points back from 10th, again the Wairarapa team are an outside shot with their best chance relying on some luck falling their way. Nevertheless, the team have shown that they can pose a threat on their day, with Brent a former 3NZ as well as five-time K Class champ!
The Classes
As well as a fighting for a spot in the Top 10 is those looking to become the National Champion in their respective classes.
In C Class Shayne Towers & Tony Hadland lead the way against two former C Class champs, with Nathan Fogden & Mike Gibbons just two points behind as well as defending Champs Caleb Adlam & Jarrod Moss.
Towers & Hadland are yet to win C Class outright, having finished runners-up in 2023 and third twice before. This is their strongest season yet, taking out three wins and a second placing to put one hand on the Cup.
The team to beat over the last seven years has been Nathan Fogden & Mike Gibbons, winning C Class five times in that period!
After a season to forget with numerous breakdowns last year, the Bay of Plenty team have kept in touch with Towers & Hadland to sit just two points behind heading into the final. Needing some help from their fellow competitors to put some places between them and Towers/Hadland if they wish to claim that 5th C Class title.
The defending champs Caleb Adlam & Jarrod Moss‘ only chance of retaining the title requires them to take their first win of the season, with Towers & Hadland to finish last in order to pip them by a single point!
That aside, they are still in the running for a podium placing just two points behind Fogden & Gibbons.
Former C Class champ John Hawken & Haare O’Brien are in with a chance of second outright, sitting one point behind Adlam & Moss.
The winner of Round 4, the Whanganui team finished runners’ up last season in their Homebuilt.
Rhys O’Brien & Clarrie Vazey in Dolly are also in the mix for a podium placing. The Eastern Bay team with the K24 powered Homebuilt need to score second or better at home if they wish to outscore those ahead.
In the Production Classes we have standalone entries, who have already done enough throughout the season to have both hands on the cup.
Paul Taylor & Danielle Taylor in Avalanche from the Eastern Bay are the champion elects in F Class. In Paul’s first season back since 2020, the father-daughter team have finished each round of the season without dramas on their way to secure a 3rd F Class title with their Toyota Tundra powered Landcruiser.
Daniel Howat & Cole Stockler in Gonzo have managed to finish the Central Zone rounds by the skin of their teeth in the G Class Suzuki SJ410. From a half-finished truck at Round 1 to chasing mechanical gremlins at Round 3 & 4, the boys from Wellington are going all in to see if the 40-something Suzuki can last one full day!