4x4 Trials: Turakina's Dan Cowper settles for third and fourth at Rangiwahia rounds

Turakina's Dan Cowper had finishes of third and fourth in C Class at the two rounds of the NZ 4x4 Trials Championship in Rangiwahia on Saturday and Sunday.

Sixty hazards in 36 hours did not prove onerous for the field at the second and third rounds of the New Zealand 4x4 Trials Championship in Rangiwahia at the weekend.

The two rounds out of the six in the series were held back-to-back with the Northern Zone Trial on Saturday at a property on Rangiwahia Rd, while the Central Zone Trial was at a Marshall Rd site on Sunday.

Turakina's former national champion Dan Cowper had won the opening round for C Class in November, but had to settle for third and fourth in class respectively at the weekend, which was also 18th and 19th in the overall standings.

"We did well, everyone else might have done a bit better," he said.

"Real dry, obviously, no mud."

The 4x4 Trials sees trucks looking to negotiate 10 gates on each hazard, receiving 10 penalty points for each one they don't complete.

Dry conditions therefore made for low scoring, with Cowper saying most drivers did at least six zero scores on the first morning, and perhaps another six with 20's, while they had one 40 score which proved costly as there were few chances to make up the difference.

Drivers start at different points on the course and rotate around, and for one of them, the mid-morning dew meant there wasn't as much grip as other trucks would have when they took their turn later in the day.

"The truck didn't miss a beat," Cowper said.

"It just depends on how you start and where you start [on the course], which can't be helped."

Manukau's Phil Walton had a strong weekend to win both rounds in the unlimited power D Class and overall, making up the ground on Auckland's defending champion Scott Biggs.

Te Puke's Nathan Fogden, driving a Cowper truck, won both rounds for C Class, which included coming second overall on Saturday and seventh on the Sunday.

Also driving a Cowper truck was Palmerston North's Stuart Earle, who came tenth overall on both days.

Wanganui 4WD club member Grant Harrison improved on his 24th at the opening round in November to getting a 15th overall placing at the weekend.

The fourth round will be hosted by the Wanganui 4WD club on February 22, with Cowper looking forward to keeping his C Class title hopes alive.

"Bring on the next one, it makes the fight stronger."