Take a bow Dan Cowper. This year’s Suzuki Extreme 4x4 Challenge event was another cracker. Ashley Lucas explains why.

The Suzuki Extreme 4x4 Challenge has to be one of the most entertaining 4WD events in New Zealand, with its easy spectator access and incredible action and high flying moments from the 10 competitors as they battle 10 courses for the title.

In its fourth year, it was my first attendance at this prestigious event and I wonder why I hadn’t joined the crowds before, and yes it attracts plenty of spectators who line the bottom of each course and the hills opposite for grand stand viewing.

Dan Cowper is the man behind Cowper Trucks, the special built trials vehicle, and also the Suzuki Extreme 4x4 Challenge which is held on his Turakina property an easy drive from Palmerston North or Wanganui.  The format is simple, 10 of NZ’s top trials competitors invited to participate over 10 purpose built courses, each with 10 ‘gates’ worth 100 points each (maximum 1000 per course), for the top prize with the event filmed for television.   

Great venue

It would be hard to get a better venue with two hills with a small water filled ditch in between.  The courses are on one hill while the spectators take over the opposite hill for viewing, or get right down close to the action.  While the rest of the country seemed to suffer from inclement weather Turakina was bathed in sunshine after a few days of rain.  So before the action could start, pumps were used to drain the water from the wet areas.

Last year’s winner (and also 2015) Andrew and Amy Garner were back along with runner up and 2016 winner Scott and Jarred Biggs in Scott’s new Nitro Customs- built vehicle, “Nitro” powered by a Chev 6.0 LS2 with NOS and were fresh from winning the overall NZ 4x4 Trials championship for the year.  

All competitors this year were running a version of the Chev LS engine apart from Te Puke’s Nathan Fogden’s Cowper built truck which is powered by a Mitsubishi 2.4 litre EVO 9 4-cylinder turbo.

Special guest

Aaron Guest was also back but this time in the ex-Scott Biggs vehicle that came second last year and so was professional FMX rider and special guest Levi Sherwood in Dan Cowper’s own vehicle.  Together with Stephen Montgomery (Monty), who had less than an hour practice as co-driver a few days earlier, it was obvious they were comfortable in the air during the day, even managing time to wave to the crowds while the vehicle was airborne.

Each driver drives the courses in a specific order, which gives each an opportunity to be first and last on a course during the day. Nathan Fogden was the first to get under way on Course 1, RCV Performance Products “Go Hard or Go Home” which started with a steep climb then a technical drive on steep hillside and through some muddy crossings.  

Nathan came away with 600 points after the bogs claimed him and he had earlier hit a couple of the gates.  Derek Smyth in anther Nitro Customs-built vehicle was next and he only managed 400 points and was towed out with a broken gearbox.   Philip Walton in the Dave Bray/Howat built “Avenger” with triple air bag suspension and four-wheel-steer led with 900 points.

Second course…

Course two was the Brunton Engineering “Wide Open Throttle” which had drivers up and down a steep hill with a final steep climb up over the top.  Horsepower would help, but only if you didn’t take the bottom mud too causally.  Five drivers all came away with 900 points including Philip Walton who now was leading on 1800 from Hamish Auret on 1600 and Andrew Garner and Scott Biggs tied for third.

By having the points available almost immediately and a running overall position after each course, the excitement was always there for drivers and spectators alike.

Plumb line

Course 3 was sponsored by Biggs Construction and titled “Plump Crazy”.  It was through the mud, up the hill with a big cut out and then around to crab up over the top. Fittingly Scott (Biggs) was first up on this one and did it perfectly coming away with the full 1000 points giving him first equal overall with Andrew Garner who also got the full 1000, and Hamish Auret who collected 900 points after clipping a gate. 

Philip Walton got up sideways on two wheels early on and looked as though he would roll but he managed to bring it back down on two wheels and completing the course for 600 valuable points.

Course 4 was Western Aggregates’ “Rock and Roll” where competitors  had to work their way up several ledges to the top and down again steep drop offs to the mud at the end.  Some chose to miss an early gate for a better chance to get to the top but most found the mud at the finish the most challenging.  Hamish Auret took top points with 900 and first overall on 3400 with Andrew Garner second on 3300.

Mickey Thompson Tires “King of the Mountain” was Course 5 which comprised an almost vertical drop off then turning around going back up.  Mud at the bottom would be dragged up the bank causing traction problems.  First up was Dave McKie in “The Riddler” his 500hp LS-powered Cowper Truck and Dave was the only one to get over the top and claim the full 1000 points. 

Running repairs

Others struggled on the climb back up and several broke in the attempt.  Scott Biggs did damage to the front right while Philp Walton broke a driveshaft.  With 500 points Hamish Auret held onto his lead with 3900 with Dave McKie now in second with 3800.  Philp Walton and Andrew Garner were third equal on 3700 closely followed by Scott Biggs on 3600.

Half way though and the news was Derek Smith was frantically replacing his gearbox and would be back to finish the day very soon.

Course 6 was a crowd favourite, the Hermansen Contracting “Monster Jam, which had a stack of large tyres to drive over at the finish.  Hermansen Contracting put up a prize for the first one to clear the tyre stack.  Andrew Garner managed to get bellied on the top and had to be winched off while Levi Sherwood launched the Cowper Truck skywards only to land on top and again go no further. 

Always one for a challenge Hamish Auret launched at the tyres and flew over the top clearing the tyres completely only to land heavily on the front wheels breaking the steering.  Aaron Guest and Nathan Fogden both managed full points with precision timing and driving.  Auret clung onto the overall lead with Garner and McKie second equal.

Fast Track

“Time Attack” was the name given to Course 7 sponsored by Fast Track Customs and Logistics. It the timed section where drivers had to drive a ‘wall of death’ and exit out up the hill for a figure eight around two gates and a flying finish back down the hill. 

Scoring on this had the crew with fastest time getting the 1000 points, second fastest 900, third 800 and so on.  Hamish Auret was still fixing his vehicle after the previous damage therefore missing the course so would be relegated down to fourth.  Nathan Fogden would end up breaking the outside tape and was disqualified as per the rules, but Greg McDell put up a time of 36.41 collecting  four penalties for pegs. 

Fastest were the Biggs boys with a blistering 35.85 plus two seconds for penalties giving him top points. Dave McKie would get the 900, Andrew Garner the 800 putting Dave McKie in first overall on 5300 with Garner second on 5200 and Biggs was a further 200 points behind in third.

Highway to Hell

The good news was that Derek Smyth had completed the gearbox swap and was back into the competition for Course 8, Goodman’s “Highway to Hell” a graveyard of big dugouts to drive across with some big mud holes thrown in.  The course proved a real challenge for McDell, Guest and Walton all coming away with only 100 points each. 

Walton put up a battle falling into one of the dugouts on his side but still managing to drive out of it but with no momentum he succumbed to the mud.  Biggs and Garner scored best with 800 a piece putting Garner in first equal with McKie.

The penultimate Course 9, ARB’s “Locked and Loaded” would be critical especially as it involved a climb to the top, a zig zag back down and a final blast on the loud pedal on the steep climb to the finish. 

In true FMX style Levi Sherwood and Monty blasted the climb airborne, each with an arm out waving to the crowd, picking up a valuable 900 points.  Fogden, Garner, Guest and Walton also got 900 but Auret and Biggs would share the course win with 1000 each reducing McKie's lead to just 100 points after he tagged the last two gates on landing at the top of the hill coming away with only 800 points.

With a 100 point lead going into the final course the competition was Dave McKie’s to lose and an opportunity for Biggs and Garner to take the lead.  Auret in fourth place was only in with a chance if the other three had a bad run.

Sting in the tail

Course 10, Optimo’s “Soak, Spin & Tumble” was down through the swamp, up a grassy climb, back down to cross a muddy section before a final attack on the hill and more ‘air’ time.  Walton was first up and chose to miss gate two and the worst of the swamp, a line all other drivers would also take.  However, he would fail the hill coming away with 700 points and seventh equal overall on 5700.

Greg McDell certainly had his foot hard down on the final climb as he went vertically into the air and looked like flipping backwards but landed on the rear wheels and drove out.

Of the top three Biggs was the first and he had a moment coming off the grassy climb but somehow managed to get it together and clear the gates on the way down and blasted the hill but clipped gate 10 at the finish for 800 points.  

McKie looked good on the first part and the grassy climb but was a little too far to his right and too slow into the mud at the bottom and became stuck showering the crowd with mud.

The pressure was now on Garner to better Biggs and take the win, but after a smooth drive he failed to reach gate 10 after clearing 9 when he lost traction coming away with 800 points and a tie for first with Biggs.

To break the tie Dan Cowper called out “Time Attack” and Biggs agreed thinking it would be whoever was the fastest, but Dan took it that Scott Biggs wanted to do it again.  Far from the truth as the “Nitro” wasn’t sounding very well and was low on fuel.  So while everyone headed for Time Attack Biggs rushed off to the pits for a top up of fuel.

Winning run

Garner went first setting a time of 36.19 some 3.7 seconds faster than his earlier time.  Biggs looked slow on his run and the engine certainly didn’t sound healthy but he gave it everything and managed a 33.56 to take the overall win and complete the double for 2018.

At the prize giving Dave McKie was given the hard luck prize for throwing away the lead and the opportunity for a Cowper built truck to actually win the competition.  Philip Walton got the Best Presented with the Avenger wrap.  No one managed to claim the rollover of the day as unusually they all stayed the right way up.

The commitment award went to Derek Smyth for changing gearboxes and getting back out putting on a show for the spectators.

Thanks to Dan Cowper for the foresight to come up with this unique and entertaining event which I hope continues.  An awesome and fantastic fun filled day which proved a nail biter right to the end.

RESULTS

2018 Suzuki Extreme 4x4 Challenge Turakina Sunday April 29

1. Scott & Jarred Biggs

2. Andrew & Amy Garner

3. Dave & Reece McKie

4. Hamish Auret/Paul Barnes

5. Nathan Fogden/Mike Gibbons

6. Levi Sherwood/Stephen Montgomery

7=. Greg & Chris McDell

7=. Aaron Guest/Ashley Tonkin

7^=. Philip Walton/Brendan Austin

10. Derek Smyth/Todd Charman

To read every story in the July 2018 issue of NZ4WD go to Zinio.com (June 15) or purchase your own hard copy at the Adrenalin store.