Ben Thomasen qualified in ninth on Friday. Photo / Supplied
Ben Thomasen qualified in ninth on Friday. Photo / Supplied
Surviving 1000km of rutted forest roads and narrow tree-lined tracks, Tauranga's Ben Thomasen and Phil Campbell produced a classy winning performance to finish just one step away from the outright podium in the Enzed Taupo 1000 international offroad endurance race at the weekend.
The rally drivers teamed up for agiant-killing effort with a 900cc Polaris RZ-R - one of the smallest vehicles contesting the biennial endurance race - to score a commanding win in the UTV class and also fourth overall in a field stacked with big horsepower entries.
Although the event took a heavy mechanical toll on the field, it wasn't a case of "cruise and collect" for the Tauranga crew.
Thomasen qualified ninth fastest in the 123-strong field on Friday and in Saturday's first 500km segment the pair shared the driving to complete the day in sixth position.
The almost untroubled run continued on Sunday as the course became even rougher, taking over fourth position overall with three laps to go and winning the UTV class by almost an hour.
A damaged sway bar was the pair's only mechanical issue and Campbell was delayed for several minutes on Saturday when the track was blocked by stranded vehicles.
"It's a long way and it's a very tough event but also a lot of fun as well," said Thomasen.
The two-day race was won for the fourth time by Hikurangi's Clim Lammers in the Class 1 racer powered by a twin turbo Nissan V6.
