Outback Challenge

Submitted: Saturday, May 21, 2005 at 15:56

ThreadID: 23180 Views:3876 Replies:4 FollowUps:6

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Member - Duncs

I finally got clear of the bosses, the one who pays me and the one who spends it, and had a great day out yesterday.

I went down to a property east of Menindee to catch some of the action in the Outback Challenge. (Round trip of about 400km). Lots of sand flying and lots of cars flying too. they are sooooo fast. I reckon most of us could get the family wagon around 90% of the course but the speed these guys are travelling at is amazing.

The local paper this morning says 50 of the original 57 vehicles are still going. Pretty good reliability when you consider what they are doing. But some of the cars and crews we saw are getting very tired.

It will all be decided today with the final three stages finishing about now. Personally I think they are all winners. There are some pretty daunting stages in this event and anyone who gets to the end can be proud of the achievement.

One question though. How come none of them knows how to use a snatch strap? Yesterday one guy got bogged in the sand and another competitor tried to snatch him out. It did not look that difficult to me but the approach was all wrong and failed. I thought you were supposed to hook up the strap leave a bit of slack, 2m or 3m, and drive away so that the stretch in the strap gently accelerated the bogged vehicle clear. This guy just slowly took up the slack and then gunned it, nearly bogging both vehicles. The same happened at the prologue where the recovery using a snatch strap was again very tentative and nearly failed again, certainly on soft ground it would have.

Anyway that is it for another year. Already looking forward to the next one when hopefully I will get more time off to have a better look and spend more time in the bush.

Oh! I did not see anymore of Bonz but am willing to bet he is having/has had a ball. If anyone is talking to him tell him to call at the Fire Station in Broken Hill if he has time tomorrow. I'll boil the billy

Duncs.

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Reply By: Member - Patrick (SA) - Saturday, May 21, 2005 at 16:26

Saturday, May 21, 2005 at 16:26

Hi Duncs

What did it cost you for entry. I was thinking of going but it say on the net, it was $330, but that was for a eight day pass.

Cheers Patrick

AnswerID: 112206

Follow Up By: Bonz (Vic) - Tuesday, May 24, 2005 at 14:03

Tuesday, May 24, 2005 at 14:03

They had day passes this year mate, not sure of the dollars but definitely a good way to see some of it.

Go to Poolamacca next year-awesome winching walls.

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Reply By: pjd - Sunday, May 22, 2005 at 18:47

Sunday, May 22, 2005 at 18:47

u must have some family wagon to do 90% Of wot i saw

AnswerID: 112325

Reply By: Truckster (Vic) - Sunday, May 22, 2005 at 20:07

Sunday, May 22, 2005 at 20:07

Funny thing they screwed up all the scoring, people were having to hand back their prizes!

good 10 page thread on outerlimits

AnswerID: 112345

Follow Up By: Truckster (Vic) - Sunday, May 22, 2005 at 20:49

Sunday, May 22, 2005 at 20:49

2005 CHALLENGE RESULT

DRIVER CAR CO DRIVER PLACING POINTS
Norm Walters K 5 ym Bolton 2132 1 NISSAN PATROL :)~
Trent Leen 45 Dave Hickman 2012 2
Dean Kilmurray 2 Jack Talbot 1953 3
Adam Bird 57 Joe Cassar 1934 4
Stephen Booth 6 Peter Lea-Smith 1868 5
Jeff Redman 7 Jason Forssman 1841 6
Rohan Canavan 44 Cass Jones 1841 6
Laurie Sternbeck 3 Sean Calcino 1839 8
Steve Hobbs 10 Clint Leask 1801 9
Ian McClenahan 35 Mark Bielz 1734 10
Mani Kafantaris 22 Kevin Tapp 1732 11
Terence Reinders 47 Warner Trimmer 1728 12
Chris Nash 4 Ben Nash 1719 13
Mike Smith 55 Wayne Smith 1635 14
Kevin Nott 20 Theo Demetriou 1627 15
Neil Redpath 51 Patrick Smart 1625 16
Chris Hummer 1 Neil Cooper 1623 17
Phil Swindale 52 Craig Hartin 1495 18
Andy Miller 41 Robbie Calvert 1444 19
Matt Bolger 16 Cameron Blackmore 1443 20
Alan Cuthill 42 Shane Barkley 1440 21
Roger Smith 8 Jason Jones 1422 22
Todd Joyce 38 Verena Joyce 1388 23
Conrad Evans 56 Grant Evans 1385 24
Brian Pethybridge 14 Keith Seeber 1353 25
Alan Mai 9 Warren Cleland 1282 26
Allen Moysey 46 Adam Kenny 1242 27
Bill Lyne 31 Jeff Newick 1242 27
Kris Umhauer 23 Simon Bailey 1231 29
Marc Boas 53 David Rowland 1229 30
Russell Cullen 25 Brad Morris 1227 31
Alan Reynolds 11 Peter Sternbeck 1200 32
Dave White 40 Paul Everett 1198 33
Christian Richter 36 Darren Nichols 1143 34
Nick Mannell 13 Shane Eslick 1139 35
Mick Whitehead 15 Norm Needham 1128 36
Michael Hingerty 30 Mick Burns 1121 37
Malcolm Graham 29 Bruce Borchardt 1048 38
Steve Graham 24 Trevor Dean 1040 39
Ashleigh McLochlan 21 Cameron Moore 1028 40
Brett Scrivener 18 Brett Quadling 1003 41
Laurie Griffiths 28 Gary Osborne 921 42
Andrew Hogg 39 James Feeney 884 43
Mark Hughes 37 Steve Browitt 756 44
Nathan Merritt 50 Wayne Merritt 739 45
Barry Packer 17 Sue Packer 729 46
Greg Scanlon 19 Andrew Scanlon 723 47
Alan van Schoor 48 Dennis Maytom 595 48
Jason Oswald 49 Stephanie Andreata 492 49
Henry Lefever 12 Robin Lefever 464 50
Cris Ingram 43 Jeremy Berg 321 51
Max Baerlocher 26 Craig Cooper 302 52
Steven Waterford 33 Steven Baker 171 53
Robert Szczupak 54 Peter Mildwaters 111 54
Celia Barry 32 Eugene Barry 95 55

FollowupID: 368628

Follow Up By: Truckster (Vic) - Sunday, May 22, 2005 at 20:59

Sunday, May 22, 2005 at 20:59

actually it wasnt in Kyms truck this yr, he was navi :-o

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Follow Up By: Truckster (Vic) - Sunday, May 22, 2005 at 21:06

Sunday, May 22, 2005 at 21:06

Follow Up By: Bonz (Vic) - Tuesday, May 24, 2005 at 14:02

Tuesday, May 24, 2005 at 14:02

yes T-Man I heard about the scoring kerfuffle, apparently one passage controller didnt pout in the points for the overnight stays, but in the end the things worked out. I left the presentation as the individual SS stages medallions were handed out. Had a ball!

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Reply By: Bonz (Vic) - Tuesday, May 24, 2005 at 14:07

Tuesday, May 24, 2005 at 14:07

Hiya Duncs, great to catch you up mate at the Broken Hill SS, shame about the bagging I got for being late back hahahahahaha

I left at 10:15pm Sat night and drove thru to Mildura, had a quick kip and got home at 10 ish the next morning.

To say I had a ball is an understatement, if you'd come out to Poolamacca mate you would have seen something that only about 10% of 4b's could do, a huge rock wall. Even taped te SA crew rolling their Jeep half way up. Amazing that it was the only rollover. The spectators this year got a good deal with the spectator village at Eldee and the giveaways/access to drivers etc and I reckon this side will be even better next year.

Will call by next time I am in the area.

GWBonz

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Follow Up By: Member - Duncs - Tuesday, May 24, 2005 at 22:29

Tuesday, May 24, 2005 at 22:29

Yeah Bonz,

Good to meet you too. Sorry about keeping you late. I did not get to Poolamacca, but from what I hear it is the go for next year. Watch for a big red truck at next years prologue, if things work out the way I hope.

I went to Denian for the sand dunes and it was pretty spectacular, two cars side by side leaping over the dunes is something to behold.

You are welcome in the Hill anytime, specially if you are bringing rain. Hang to that phone number and give me a call if you're in the area.

Duncs

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