Huge test in The Winch Challenge

Make haste slowly it's often said. It's a strategy put to use by crews competing in a 4x4 Winch Challenge, combining moments of full-throttle aggression with the finesse of precision vehicle placement in extreme terrain.
Team work and communication skills are at a premium in this sport as co-drivers guide the drivers through the most difficult sections of the timed special stages.
In fact "co-driver" seems a rather strange title - they seem to spend as much time running ahead or alongside the vehicle as they do actually sitting alongside the driver.
But it's often the experience, quick thinking and work rate of the "co-ey" that will select the best route and decide if a couple of quick short winches are a better solution than one long and time consuming pull.
Fine weather brought out hundreds of spectators for a rare chance to see all the action at a 4x4 Winch Challenge last weekend.
Usually held in remote areas with limited public access, the Runva Tough Truck Challenge organised by the Geyserland 4WD Club powered the sport in the public eye.
There were 16 crews in action at the three-day event - which is a round of the North Island Series - held at the motorsport base in the new TECT All Terrain Park at Pyes Pa. The new venue offered easy access to multiple spectator points.
Winch Challenge results are decided with the fastest time set in each class on each special stage being worth 100 points, second place 95 points and so on.
Each stage must be completed within a maximum time allowance (usually 30mins) and penalties for rule infringements such as excessive wheel spin, hitting trees and any course and winching violations are subtracted from the crew's score.
The Runva Tough Truck Challenge had 18 stages and offered a potential maximum score of 1800 points. The highest total accumulated by Super Modified class winners Kevon and Thor Feickert in a supercharged Holden V6 powered Suzuki Vitara was 1624 points, to edge out the Nissan Safari crew of Stephen Reed and Dion Kerr by 24 points for the class win.
During three days of threading between the pine trees, powering through mud and scrambling up and down the steep terrain the Challenge class was fiercely contested, and the top five crews separated were by just 67 points after the 18 stages.
Tararua 4x4 club member Stan Goodman in a FJ40 Toyota Landcruiser and co-driver Heath Johnston - who had travelled from Australia for the event - finished 30 points ahead of Rotorua's Aaron Smythe and Doug Cooper (Nissan Safari). Smythe and Cooper were the winners of this event last year when it was staged in the Mamakus. Only 12 points further back were Owen Fillery and David Morrison in a Toyota FJ40 LandCruiser.
In the club class the consistently driven Jeep CJ5 of Tony Babe and Tim Chapman came through to win as the Toyota of Craig Owen and Jon Cole was stricken by clutch problems in the closing stages.
Runva Tough Truck Challenge - results:
Challenge Class: 1 Stan Goodman/Heath Johnston (Toyota FJ40) 1597pts; 2 Aaron Smythe/Doug Cooper (Nissan Safari) 1567pts; 3 Owen Fillery/David Morrison (Toyota FJ40) 1555pts; 4 Mike Gibbons/Rogan Donaldson (Toyota Hilux) 1553pts; 5 Tim Fensom/Glen Bellingham (Toyota Hilux) 1530pts; 6 Brent Purcell/Bruce Forsyth (Nissan Safari) 1417pts; 7 Arron Eades/Josh Carter (Toyota Hilux) 1414pts; 8 Raymond Leemeyer/Daniel Leemeyer (Jeep YJ) 1348pts; 9 Ray Pinfold/Ben Parsons (Toyota LandCruiser) 1294pts.
Super Modified: 1 Kevon Feickert/Thor Feickert (Suzuki Vitara) 1624pts; 2 Stephen Reed/Dion Kerr (Nissan Safari) 1600pts; 3 Rolf Engelberts/Bill Allen (Toyota Surf) 1535pts; 4 Rob Price/Dave Iceton (Nissan Safari) 1506pts.
Club Class: 1 Tony Babe/Tim Chapman (Jeep CJ5) 1456pts; 2 Craig Owen/Jon Cole (Toyota FJ40) 1254pts; 3 Jimbob Gregory/Paul Rhodes (Nissan safari) 270pts.