In one of the closest ARB championship rounds in recent years, Victorian’s Danny Brown and George Apted #42 held on for a third outright crown in as many years at the weekend’s Teagle Excavations ARB Pines Enduro 400, hosted by the Millicent Sand Buggy Club.
After finishing Saturday in fourth, Brown capitalised on the mid race withdrawal of Matt Hanson #7 to take the lead, completing six dramatic laps of the Tantanoola Pine Forest 28 seconds quickest then his nearest rivals.
In what was a near flawless performance from Brown and Apted on a day highlighted by close racing, the Alumi Craft campaigners held off recent Gundy 500 runners up Dale Martin and Adrian Rowe #5 for an impressive third Pines title in a row.
Martin who started from the rear of the grid on Sunday in the teams Jimco held a slender lead at the completion of lap 5, however it was Brown who closed in style, setting the quickest lap of the event to finish with the advantage.
Local VQ35 TT powered Jimco peddler Toddy Lehmann and navigator Tanner James #85 produced their career best outright national result crossing in third, 3.11mins adrift of Martin.
Class 10 champions Steven and Ella Graham #1065 continued their love affair with the Pines layout crossing in eighth, with Class 6 victors Jackson Evans and Sam Raper #635, plus the ever-consistent Craig and Megan Barnett #68 rounding out the Pines Enduro 400 top ten.
Darren and Amelia Van der Woude #554 cruised to Class 5 supremacy, outlasting Andrew, and Jack Cameron #570 in second; whilst Brendan Forssman and Leigh Whitehand #202, Ross Newman, and navigator Chris Leonard #6681 both reigned in their respective classes.
Local members Heath and Michelle Weedon #701 finished their ARB class title defence on a high, surviving Darren and Kayleen Gill #760, Connor Cooper and Rylan Polakow #729 in the battle of the Class 7 patrols.
In other results, last year’s ARB outright runners up David and Alice Middlemiss #2, along with fellow Victorians Joseph Patterson and Jason Gibbins #175 rounded out the Class 1 podium, likewise Lachlan and Greg Campbell #607, Matthew Hummer and Aaron Lukschanderl #633 in Class 6.
Offroad stalwart Peter Sibson and Greg Barker #412 produced another consistent display to snare second in Class 4, ahead of John Smith and Grant Manion #445, whilst Ian Middlemiss #1017 (second), Paul Tinga and Angus Wood #1010 (third) collected the remaining Class 10 silverware.
Andy Brown and Daniel Hardman #1145 were rewarded for their challenging Pines assault with a second in Class 11, with Darren Frankling and Rob Hackney #1110 rounding out the dais.
Clayton Chapman #15 who led the ARB championship into the final round, Matt Hanson #7, Trevor Chandler #1181, Mark Burrows #21, Jake England #1032, Cooper Western #1161, Brendan Payne #99, Stuart Chapman #17, Darren Mott #435, and Kurt Stephan #133 all unfortunately bowed out during Sunday’s intense long course action.
The 2024 Teagle Excavations ARB Pines Enduro 400 wouldn’t have been possible without the support of championship partners ARB 4X4 Accessories, Mickey Thompson Tyres, AORRA and Raceline Wheels, plus major event sponsors Teagle Excavations, ARB 4X4 Accessories and Hards Transport Services.
The club would again also like to thank OneFortyOne Plantations, Forestry SA, and Wattle Range Council for the roads and property to race on, and all the other incredible sponsors either small or in-kind who assisted in many ways.
The ARB Australian Off Road Racing Championship will now turn its attention to the 2025 schedule, with the calendar to be released in the coming weeks.
By TC MediaPics courtesy of Clutch Life Media
