Gartner & Jennings go so close to title

Triumphant return for Pines Enduro as Brown & Apted take out the Millicent event

Former ARB Australian champions Danny Brown and George Apted #42 returned to the winner’s circle late last month, taking outright honours at the Teagles Excavations ARB Pines Enduro 400, on a day Brent Martin and Andre De Simone #120 secured a magnificent second ARB Australian Off Road Racing Championship.

Brown and Apted (pictured top left) #42 who trailed Tyler Owen #41 by just 16 seconds at the completion of the opening two 66km laps were never headed after the first service break in their Nissan V6 TT powered Alumi Craft, in the wake of setting the fastest lap of the event on lap three. Despite a late flurry by eventual runners up Greg Gartner and Jamie Jennings (pictured top right) #410, Brown and Apted who started from the rear of the grid held firm to secure a flawless 1.57min victory, and a maiden Teagles Excavations ARB Pines Enduro 400 win.

Gartner and Jennings #410 crossed for second outright in their Ford V8 Geiser Bros TT, the same result for the team as the 2019 event behind winner Aaron Haby, Gartner was clinical on Sunday as he powered his way through the famous Millicent Pines hot on the tail of Brown.

Capping off a remarkable season in third outright was the Class 1 Jimco of Brent Martin and Andre De Simone (pictured bottom left) #120, a fourth podium finish of 2022 ensured the ARB Big Desert 480 and ARB Goondiwindi 400 victors of an emphatic second ARB Australian championship crown. Commencing the final two laps in sixth, Martin saved his best for last, smashing his fastest lap time to snatch third place by a mere 24 seconds, the ultimate reward for a season which will be forever remember as one of the best.

The Alice Springs based crew of Andrew Mowles alongside navigators Teegan Mowles and Lincoln Sheedy (pictured bottom right) #135 made their long trip south worthwhile finishing 4th in their BMW powered Razorback, crossing ahead of the father and daughter combination Steven and Ella Graham #1065 who took home the Class 10 victory, fifth outright and third in the ARB Australian championship in their Alumi Craft.

Dean Carter and Brad Jacobs #18 piloted their Chev powered Razorback to sixth outright and second in the Unlimited Class – 41 seconds adrift of Graham, whilst fellow South Australians Brendan Payne and Linda Miller #99 rounded out the Unlimited podium in seventh position. David Hall and Corey Haworth #134 made a welcome return to Millicent in their Nissan VQ35 Murphy machine finishing eighth outright and third in Class 1 ahead of Jimco campaigner James Tyrell #1036 and the local crew of Aaron and Shane Heemskerk #1029 who rounded out the Class 10 podium and top ten respectively.

In the remainder of the class battles, local competitors Jake and Tayla England #223 defended their Class 2 title from 2019 in 18th outright, holding off a gallant Brock and Nigel Pendlebury #235 who crossed in second and the Alice Springs crew of Brad Geraghty and Rick Chambers #210 in third.

Andrew and Jack Cameron #570 completed all 420 kilometres of the Pines terrain in their Chev powered Triton to take home Class 5 honours, overcoming the Holden Colorado of Darren and Millie Vanderwoude #554, at the same time Ian and Julie Terry #456 were rewarded for their efforts to finish second in Class 4, ahead of Peter and Dee Sibson #412.

Alex Handley and Jack Battye #665 topped the Class 6 brigade for a maiden national round triumph, finishing the tough event 14th outright in their Can Am, 1.32mins ahead of ARB Australian championship runners up Glenn Pike and Aidan Campagnolo #675 in second and Simon Gubbins and Ben Lugg #690 who rounded out the class podium.

The fight of the Class 7 Patrols was dominated by Darren and Damon Gill #760 who claimed a maiden Pines victory, championship newcomers Brett and Chris Tillson #747 secured second place, whilst the local husband and wife crew of Heath and Michelle Weedon #779 fought hard to the chequered flag for third. Michael Baxter and Ian Edgell #848 finished their Class 8 championship winning season on a high; taking home the Millicent silverware, likewise Matt Lavis and Andrew Dance #6684 who drove their Class 66 Yamaha to a win over North Queenslanders Chris Land and Tanya Gaudry #6601.

The attrition rate was high over the weekend with many succumbing to the brutal Pines terrain including defending champion Aaron Haby #1 – engine, Bryan Jones #168 – engine, Brad Geraghty #210 – electrical, Darren Vanderwoude #554 – control arm, John Smith #445 – steering, Peter Sibson #412 – transmission, Mark Foster – #411, Glenn McIntyre #43 – clutch, Travis Conrad #1006 – engine, Craig Martin #25 – front end, Andy Brown #45 – engine pulley, Ivan Schmocker #58, Chris Land #6601 – diff, Trevor Chandler #37 – power steering, Tyler Owen #41 – rear hub, Kurt Stephan #133 and Andrew Murdock #66 – lost wheel, all bowing out.

With the ARB Australian Off-Road Championship now run and won for another season, a massive congratulations must go to the outright champions Brent Martin #120, Glenn Pike #675 and Steven Graham #1065 in podium order, and to all the other class winners at the completion of four outstanding championship events, none which would have been possible without the support of championship partners ARB and Mickey Thompson Tires, and governing bodies AORRA and AASA for their ongoing guidance and committee to the sport.

WORDS COURTESY OF TC MEDIA