MARTIN STEALS AORC OPENER

After a long wait, Dale Martin and Tanner James became the latest names on the MA Australian Off Road Championship winner’s list by taking out the season-opening Pooncarie Desert Dash.

The opening round proved to be a nail biter after over four hours of racing, Martin took out the win by 40s over James Cook and Mitch Aucote on the final lap of the event, while reigning champion Travis Robinson and navigator Paul Currie rounded out the podium after overcoming a number of mechanical dramas.

Brent Martin and Andre De Simone started strong and led into Sunday after taking out Section One.

However, they were forced to stop halfway through Sunday’s second lap and retire.

This elevated Cook and Aucote into the outright lead with a 40 second buffer ahead of the final lap.

But Martin and James produced the perfect run of the 106km finale to leapfrog Cook/Aucote and steal the win.

Having been competing for more than a decade, it meant a lot for Martin to finally stand on the top step.

“We’ve taken a few seconds and thirds over the years, but it’s been a long time coming to get first place. they’re hard to come by,” he said.

“We looked at the numbers (before the last lap) and my dad said that we can do it and to put the foot down.

“So, it was a bit of inspiration, a push from him, and a blinder of a lap where we didn’t miss a beat.

“Just every corner, every bump was perfect. And Tanner called a perfect race.

“We caught up to the back his (Cook) dust and got a feeling like, maybe we’ve done this.”

Whilst all eyes were on the fight for the lead, the fight for the final place on the podium was just as memorable, as Travis Robinson managed to snatch the final podium place by just two seconds.

The reigning champion did well to stand on the rostrum having endured a handful of mechanical dramas after winning the Transportable Shade Sheds Prologue, but still finished only a minute off the pace.

Robinson started the final day ninth and made up significant time in the morning’s two laps before getting past the Pro Buggy of Aaron Haby on the final lap.

The leading Extreme 2WD class member was Beau Robinson/Shane Hutt in fifth place overall.

One spot back was Prolite winners Mel and Liam Brandle.

Behind the South Australian father-son duo were a trio of Pro Buggies led by Brett Rogers and Brett Richardson.

In the SXS Motorsport Australia Championship, Greg and Tori Campbell have provisionally won the class, after a big Sunday saw them overtake Saturday leaders James and Michael Mogford.

Other class winners include Jan Wisse and Emily Brandle in SXS Sport, Rick Chambers and Patrick Geraghty in Super 1650, Paul Tinga and Daniel Kelsey in Sportslite, Michael Shipton and Paul Chorlton in Performance 2WD, and Norman Parker and Mark Robertson in Production 4WD.

All roads now lead to the Finke Desert Race on June 7-10.

Image: Dan Thompson

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