Queenslanders Clayton Chapman and Adam McGuire #15 delivered arguably their greatest ever performance on the weekend, completing a start to finish domination of the 2024 ARB Gundy 500, hosted by the Goondiwindi Motorsport Association.
The new outright ARB Australian Off Road Racing Championship leaders defended their Gundy crown from 12 months ago in majestic fashion, firing to a 6.29min victory and their third ARB national round win in four starts.
Chapman was in a league of his own on Sunday in the team’s Toyota powered Razorback, and even after the withdrawal of his nearest rival Danny Brown #4 he didn’t hold back, setting the quickest time over the final two laps to become a two-time Gundy victor.
In what has been a near perfect start to their 2024 including a win at Hillston, Chapman and McGuire will head to Millicent for the championship decider with a significant lead, looking to close out the year with Australia’s highest honour.
Victorians Dale Martin and Adrian Rowe #5 also continued their fine season to date, crossing second at one of the toughest Gundy editions on record; the Jimco chargers added to their fifth-place finish from Rainbow in March.
In one of the drives of the weekend, offroad legend Mark Burrows and son Tom #21 piloted their Monkfab machine to third outright. Starting Sunday from tenth, the Burrows duo capitalised on issues to those ahead to secure their first ARB Australian event podium in several years; finishing 13.46mins behind Martin.
Recent Moranbah runners up Drew Callander and Ashley Cameron #99 charged to their highest national result, finishing fourth outright in their V8 powered Razorback, whilst fellow North Queenslander Michael Marson #1032 claimed the hotly contested Class 10 prize and fifth outright in his single seater Racer, 8.19mins adrift of Callander.
Local president Jamie Knight and navigator Patrick Buggie #401 defended their Class 4 title in sixth outright, with Gundy debutants Simon and Kyle Tucker #110 surviving their maiden test to finish with Class 1 honours, and seventh outright.
Despite a last lap flat, Craig Krog and Dean Searle #23 finished in eighth outright, narrowly holding off Class 1 runners up Tony Fehlhaber and Michael Collins #138 who surged from 34th overnight to ninth, with Class 6 victors Jackson Evans and Samuel Raper #635 rounding out the ARB Gundy 500 top ten, just 2 mins separating the three crews.
Christian Trusz and Shane Harris #816 cruised to Class 8 supremacy in 11th outright, outlasting Luke Peterson and Dave Anderson #878 in second, with the local crew of Steven and Debra Ash #862 settling for third.
Beau Robinson and Shane Hutt #1113 overcame an early power steering issue on Sunday in their Mason TT to keep their Australian championship hopes alive, crossing 16th outright and first in Class 11, ahead of locals Joe and Damon Bulmer #1136, plus Micheal Zacka and Dylan Blake #1151 in second and third, respectively.
Brendan Forssman and Leigh Whitehand #202 locked in a fourth consecutive ARB round Class 2 victory on their Gundy debut, whilst others including Class 7 stalwart Hank and Tyson Parker #798, Ross Newman and Frankie Wong #6681, Michael Orr and Tia Maroske #515 all reigned in their respective classes.
In other results, Matthew Burrows and Jay Mitchell #3 were at their consistent best again to round out the ARB Gundy 500 Class 1 podium, with Darren and Nicole Orr #1015, and locals Michael and Lisa Phillips #1042 doing likewise in Class 10.
Mark Robertson and Noah Spink #481 secured second in Class 4, ahead of Steven Kildey and Chris Jones #412, whilst Jeff McNiven and Jake Nicholson #604, in addition to Lachlan and Greg Campbell #607 rounded out the Class 6 dais, separated by just 1.29mins.
Darren and Kayleen Gill #760 crossed the line second in Class 7 after completing all laps, outlasting current Australian champions and Patrol counterparts Heath and Michelle Weedon #701 in third.
After watching several notables succumb to the harsh terrain on Saturday including Andy Brown #1142, Kye Floyd #1141, Ryan Taylor #24, Michael Dolan #1186, Russell Hartnett #1012, Owen Ward #801, Michael Zacka #1151, Kye Camilleri #34 and Rohan Williams #29, Sunday’s attrition rate was just as high.
Three-time former Gundy champ Danny Brown #4, Aaron James #93, Jason Richards #119, Talbot Cox #16, Steven Graham #1065, Joe Bulmer #1136, Kane Jones #637, Steven Kildey #412, Stuart Chapman #1014, Brent Martin #1, Sam Bentley #1018, Jourdain Patterson #44 and Ross Newman #6681 all bowing out during a dramatic four lap section.
The 2024 Gundy 500 would not have been possible without championship partners ARB 4X4 Accessories, Mickey Thompson Tyres, AORRA and Raceline Wheels, top ten shootout sponsor Goondiwindi Tyre Service, plus all the other amazing sponsors either small, large, or in-kind including who assisted in so many ways to make the event possible.
The 2024 ARB Australian Off Road Racing Championship will now turn its attention to the final round, the Teagle Excavations ARB Pines Enduro 400 at Millicent held over the 20th-22nd of September, whilst the ARB Mickey Thompson Off Road Queensland Championship heads north for the 2024 Don River Dash in just four weeks’ time.
By TC Media
Pics courtesy of Show N Go Photography & Jess Ritchie
