Kent Battle, alongside navigators Seeton Battle and Adam Franklin #31 claimed victory on a dramatic final day of the 2024 Bowen Rail Company Don River Dash, an event win years in the making.
After the retirement of race leader Nick Commins #1179 on Sunday’s first lap, overnight engine issues to Talbot Cox #16, and a last lap drama for Kye Camilleri #34, the Townsville based Battle stormed to his finest triumph.
Fastest by a considerable margin on the final day in the team’s V8 powered Element Prodigy, Battle would finish the event 2.22mins ahead of last year’s champion Roydn Bailey and son Lachy #52 who continued their impressive Don River streak.
Amidst a dominating one-two Element performance, Westlime’ Motorsports Andrew and Samuel Commins #1167 scored their career best result.
After starting Sunday from seventh in his Class 11 Geiser Bros TT, Commins and his son Sam crossed 3 mins adrift of Bailey to round out the 2024 Don River Dash podium.
Fellow North Queenslander’s James and Liz Sant #1144 also locked down a career high finish of fourth, just 26 seconds off Commins; whilst Class 1 champions Tony Fehlhaber and Michael Collins #138 claimed fifth spot.
Matthew Lawless and Clayton Kallend #71 performed flawlessy to cross sixth outright and third in class, finishing 1.34mins ahead of Goondiwindi locals Joe Bulmer and Symon Knight #1136 who also collected class silverware in seventh.
Robert and Lachlan Wearing #440 in their V8 Rush Truck were rewarded with Class 4 honours and eighth outright, outlasting Jimco campaigners Dave and Connor Mendham #170 in ninth, along with David Loughnan and Aaron Deane #104 who closed out the top ten and Class 1 podium.
Dan Dunn, and navigators Ashton and Shane Dale #614 cruised to the Class 6 victory in 16th outright, holding off Lochlan and Kevin Waters #699 in second, with SPLITS Racing’s Tony Patterson and Brigid Sleeman #6175 settling for third.
Local competitors Daniel MacDonald and Sam Mildren #1052 claimed their maiden Don River Class 10 title in a dominant display; whilst local Club President Michael Marson #1032, and Mackay’s Rob and Courteney Stieber #1082 finished in second and third.
Hank and Tyson Parker #798 closed out another QLD Class 7 win over Warren Stevens and Finn Hendrie #762, whilst Pablo Velez and Daniel Beltran #303, Sean Streten and Lance Webberley #226, Ryland and Jacynta Burt #6169s all reigned in their respective classes.
In other results, Luke Peterson and Dave Anderson #878 were victorious in Class 8, finishing ahead of Jack and Mitch Henderson #807, with Jamie and Erin Henderson #477, Klaus Mcghie and Jason Munchenberg #409 collecting their own Don River silverware.
After watching several notables succumb to the iconic riverbed on Saturday including Cooper Western #1161, Trent Callander #127, Ian Baker #146, Damien Saunders #444, Les Long #6626, and Jack Mildwaters #1149, Sunday’s attrition was just as high.
Two-time Don River champion Talbot Cox #16 (DNS), Kye Camilleri #34, Nick Commins #1179, Daniel Hughes #40, Ivan Robertson #471, Alex Handley #665, Brett Glazebrook #658, Steven Kildey #412, Shannon McNab #1122, Mark #435, and Jacob Booth #70 all bowing out during the three laps of the Don.
The popular Bowen based event would not have been possible without the support of their Platinum sponsors; Bowen Rail Company, and Whitsunday Regional Council, Sapphire sponsor; RGM maintenance, Gold sponsors; Abbot Point Operations, RFC, Pat McDonnell Earthmoving, and Whitsunday Ag Services, along with all the other amazing sponsors either small, large or in-kind who assisted in many ways.
The AORRA QLD Off Road Racing Championship would too like to thank their major sponsors ARB & Mickey Thompson Tyres, and other sponsors Premium Soil Conditioners & Fertilisers, Lucas Papaw Remedies, Comiskey Mining Services, Link Engine Management, Farm & Garden Polaris, North Lakes Best Western Hotel & JSW Powersports.
The 2024 Mickey Thompson ARB Queensland Off Road Racing Championship will now turn its attention to the eighth and final round, the Mount Larcom Short Course, held over the 4th-6th of October.
