CBT Racing’s Christian Trusz and Shane Harris #816 have claimed a dramatic victory at the weekend’s Farm and Garden Products Mount Larcom Short Course, on a day Jan Kraaj #1140 captured the 2024 Queensland championship.
Capping off his most successful season to date, Trusz in the team’s Class 8 Nissan Patrol capitalised on the early Sunday retirements of Stuart Chapman #17 and Richard Tassin #691 to record his second win of 2024, after reigning at Dalby in June.
Trusz finished the dusty Mount Larcom event in style, saving his fastest lap for last as he held off Class 6 champion Tony Patterson #6175 who added another outright podium to his resume in second.
Patterson and his SPLITS Racing Polaris Pro R was again a standout combination, outlasting young gun Tyler Youman #417 in third who continues his rapid rise in the team’s Fusion Trophy Truck.
The talented young Queenslander who banked his second outright podium of 2024 after a third-place finish at Dalby crossed 14 seconds adrift of Patterson to officially wrap up the QLD Class 4 championship.
North Queensland’s Drew Callander #99 in the team’s Ultimate winning V8 Razorback crossed in fourth outright just 11 seconds behind Youman, whilst the second SPLITS Racing Class 6 Polaris of Jason Sait #674 rounded out the Mount Larcom top five.
Jan Kraaj #1140 finished off his exceptional year by securing the 2024 ARB Mickey Thompson QLD Championship courtesy of a fourth top ten result in seven outings. Kraaj who also claimed the Class 11 state title was a model of consistency across the season, adding his name to an illustrious group of QLD champions.
Falling just 35 points short of Kraaj #1140 in the battle for QLD’s highest honour was Moranbah runner up Drew Callander #99. Buoyed by four top five finishes in 2024, Callander leapfrogged Class 1 stalwart David Loughnan #104 at the final round to snare second by a slender 2 points.
Loughnan #104 signed off on his QLD Class 1 championship defence with a Mount Larcom victory, withstanding Darren Angel #160, and Trent Callander #127 with an 8th place finish.
Colin Gaven #295a scored his second Class 2 triumph of the season at Mount Larcom, crossing just 13 seconds ahead of his Milk Boys Racing teammate and the new QLD champion Mark Andrew #295.
Jason Keane #1013 produced a consistent weekend in Central Queensland to cross with Class 10 honours in 9th outright, with the First Lady home Nicci Orr #1015, and Russell Hartnett #1012 rounding out the dais.
Anna Phillis #624s survived 2024 QLD Class 6s champion Leila Chapman #616s on a challenging final day at Mount Larcom for class spoils, whilst Ross Newman #6681 repelled Shaun Bartlem #6616 by 7 minutes to triumph in Class 66.
In other class results, Kel Kruger #44 and Stuart Chapman #17 who retired from the race early Sunday due to a broken oil line rounded out the Ultimate podium, with Paul Youman #427a and Jayme Challacombe #838 collecting class silverware.
Jack Butler #508, and John Butler #708 claimed class wins, as Dave Nicholson #6122, and Jim Zlotkowski #1154 slotted into class celebrations.
In the Future Champions Class, Jack Musico #6688 scored a maiden victory, with the new QLD champion Cameron Krog #6623, and Lincoln Wilcox #717 finishing in second and third.
The AORRA QLD Off Road Racing Championship would again 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 for their support in 2024.
The ARB Mickey Thompson Queensland 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 Media
Pics courtesy of Terry Hill Photography and Big Foot Media
