Driving a standard production Nissan Navara, Hamilton driver Maurice Bain became the 2008 North Island offroad racing champion at the Bay Offroaders championship round, held in cold and rainy conditions at Matata on Saturday.
It is the first time a production four-wheel drive has taken the title.
Allfour Eastern Bay of Plenty drivers entered in the event scored top results. Three won their classes to become North Island class champions and series sponsor Clive George of Whakatane, in his first appearance of the year, won two of the three short course heats in his Toyota Tundra.
Whakatane driver Clive Thornton won the class one (unlimited) category for the weekend, Malcolm Langley, also from Whakatane, won the Super 1600 class three for the weekend and Gary Baker of Otakiri took his Nissan Navara V8 to victory in the ThunderTruck class.
The weather bomb that lashed Northland during the weekend had caused organisers some concern before the event, but conditions stayed chilly with a steady, light rain throughout the day in the sheltered farm venue in the Matata foothills.
Short course heats at the event were unaffected, but the afternoon enduro was ended five laps early as temperatures dropped further and concerns over possible hypothermia among the racers increased.
The 43-strong entry was headed by a resurgent Tony McCall of Manukau, who won the previous round at Hawkes Bay and was aiming to maximise his points going into the final round in October.
McCall, who needed a clean sweep of the class one heats, was on track with two wins from two starts on Saturday but blew his engine at the start of the third heat.
The rest of the nine-strong class one grid swept past him, Hawkes Bay driver Shayne Huxtable taking the win and Clive Thornton finishing second.
Huxtable's luck ran out in the afternoon's 150km endurance race. He leapt into an early lead, but an engine fire forced him out and allowed the sports president, Ian Foster, through to lead.
Thornton consolidated fourth behind teammate Langley while Clive George and later Gary Baker were forced to withdraw.
When the chequered flag came out five laps 20 minutes early, it was Horan who had scored his first ever endurance race win; Donn Attwood holding on grimly for second overall.
