The dust flies in the pines

DALE Martin and Mark Degruchy #5 have closed out their 2025 season with a stunning victory at last month’s Teagle Excavations ARB Pines Enduro 400 in Millicent.

Starting the Sunday racing in third, Martin took control of the race in his Ford EcoBoost powered Jimco on lap three after the retirements of Matt Hanson #7, Tom Owen #30, and three-time defending champion Danny Brown #4.

Despite crossing second on road, Martin finished an impressive 3.49mins ahead of his nearest rival in what was a dramatic final day of the 2025 ARB Australian Off Road Racing Championship.

2019 Pines Enduro champion Aaron Haby #57 with navigators Chelsea Haby, Liz Haby and Declan Fritchley completed the six laps in second place after starting from 5th; another superb Haby performance in the team’s Toyota powered Element Prodigy.

Putting an exclamation mark on his weekend, Haby #57 was crowned ARB Australian Off Road Champion by the narrowest of margins, courtesy of back-to-back second place finishes at Waikerie and Millicent.

After starting the weekend seventh in the ARB outright standings, Haby’s solid Pines performance launched him to a second ARB Australian title, aided by the unfortunate retirements of Steven Graham #1065, and Stuart Chapman #1014.

Haby #57 finished ahead of fellow South Australian Simon Tucker #2 who defended his second outright plate from twelve months ago and young gun Lachlan Campbell #651 in third for 2025 ARB Australian Off Road Racing supremacy.

Andy Brown and Daniel Hardman #45 rocketed their V8 Alumicraft to first across the line, and third outright at weekend’s end, 1.26mins adrift of Haby in their best performance of 2025.

In one of the drives of the weekend, Class 1 victors Matt Curtis and Grant Prior #136 finished fourth in their GCR Rhino, almost five minutes ahead of Dean Carter and Bradley Jacob #18 who rounded out the Teagle Excavations ARB Pines Enduro 400 top five.

Streaky Bay’s Simon Tucker and Rylee Skinner #2 closed out their season in sixth, the Class 1 runners-up crossed ahead of Class 10 champion Bodie Tickner #1093 in his Chev powered Alumicraft.

Brenton and Matthew Gallasch #60 finished in eighth, Class 4 champions Peter Sibson and Jason Munro #412 locked down ninth, with the local Class 10 crew of Jake England and Brad Turnbull rounding out the Teagle Excavations ARB Pines Enduro 400 top ten.

ARB Australian Class 6 winners Lachlan and Greg Campbell #651 made it three from three class victories for 2025, finishing ahead of Nicholas Van Geest #632 and Paul Renouf #620 who completed the Pines podium.

Michael Shipton and Paul Chorlton #585 outlasted Russell and Kaleb Harris #515 in their Ford Ranger for Class 5 honours, likewise Darren and Kayleen Gill #701 who overcome Heath and Michelle Weedon #778 in the battle of the Class 7 patrols, whilst Ross Newman #668, and John Alfred #819 both collected wins.

In other results, James Tyrell #1036, and Jay Mitchell #121 finished on the podium in their respective classes, with Darren and Bailee Mott #435, Jason Forssman and Del Palmer #474 wrapping up Class 4 celebrations. North Queenslander’s Brian Bradford and Robert Venz #262 claimed the Class 2 silverware with Brendan Forssman and Leigh Whitehand #201 in second.

Unfortunately for championship frontrunners prior to the Pines Steven Graham #1065 and Stuart Chapman #1014 they both exited due to engine dramas, whilst Matt Hanson #7, Todd Lehmann #85, Danny Brown #4, Brent Martin #90, Jackson Evans #601, Glenn Pike #75, Tom Owen #30, Brendan Forssman #201 and Kurt Stephan #133 were others to bow out during Sunday’s long course action.

The 2025 Teagle Excavations ARB Pines Enduro 400 would not have been possible without championship partners ARB 4X4 Accessories, Mickey Thompson Tyres, Raceline Wheels Australia and AORRA, plus major sponsors Teagle Excavations, ARB 4X4 Accessories and Hards Transport Services.

The club would again like to acknowledge their live stream sponsors Screenshot Big Screens and Rural IT Solutions; OneFortyOne Plantations, Forestry SA, and the Wattle Range Council for the roads to race on, along with the many other great sponsors who assisted to make the Pines Enduro 400 possible.

The ARB Australian Off Road Racing Championship will now turn its attention to the 2026 season, with the calendar to be released in the coming weeks.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DARREN ARCHIBALD (TURN8 PHOTOGRAPHY)