The Green Flag drops and McCall is first car on the track
#157 Tony McCall sprinting to take the Front Row position on the Woodhill 100 grid.
The Battle of the Woodhill 100
For all racers entering the Woodhill begins with the preparation of the race car. The car has to be prepped for sand. The sand will try to smash the car to pieces on every lap. And with each lap, it gets more vicious than the last. The other nice thing about sand is it becomes a grinding paste that clings to the oily and greasy areas and works its way into the smallest of gaps, grinding the tolerances out and ruining equipment.
A quick rap on tyres. For sand, ideally, you need deep side walls with very little tread and only just enough air to stop the Bead from coming away from the rim, about 12psi should do. Unfortunately, only half the race distance is on sand. The other half is on, hard-packed, gravel roads. To get the perfect tyres for gravel you would want 25 to 40psi and plenty of bite to get drive off the hard surface. With the Woodhill, you need to roll the dice. Set up purely for gravel and you’ll dig deep holes in the sand. Set up for sand and watch the Woodhill win slip away on Coast Road.
Coast Road is a 4km straight that ends in a right-angle turn. Not enough grip and you are in the trees at high speed. With some cars developing 700hp, that speed has the effect of lifting the car onto the top of the gravel, where there is less control and less drive. Prep it right and the overtaking on the road can help create a buffer in the sand.
For all drivers, this prep is the beginning of the Woodhill 100. Get it right and your chances of finishing are good. Get it wrong and you have no chance of finishing, let alone winning.
The second part of the Woodhill 100 is Qualifying. the best chance at winning is to qualify well. Pole position is sought after, but often the winners have come from row 4 or 5 on the grid. This year the first to run laid down the fastest time. #157 Tony McCall posted the fastest time and claimed pole position. Second row of the grid went to #193 Daynom Templeman. Daynom’s win, last year, took him to 3 Woodhill 100 wins and so much closer to the only two racers to have more Woodhill wins, Tony McCall and Ian Foster on 6 wins each. On row 3 was the massive Jimco single seater of #124 Brendon Midgley. This race car has the 2011 Taupo 1000 victory to its credit, at the hands of its original owner Brad Prout. The car looked fantastic. The question was, can the new owner drive it. We soon found out.
The grid was formed in a single file. Held behind the transponder line, until the Clerk Of The Course was satisfied.
#157 Tony McCall knew he had to make a clean getaway to make good on his lead position. True to form, when the green flag dropped he was off. Ripping through the gears as he sprayed the, now-released #193 Daynom Templeman. Daynom was up for the challenge and took off in Hot Pursuit. Then the hail of rocks hit #124 Brendon Midgley, just as the green flag dropped for his massive JIMCO. He shared the good news with 4th-row starter #195 Rene Sciarone. Next up was #NZ1 Carl Ruiterman, followed by the CanAm of #S80 Andrew Williams. Then #S41 Steven Stokes and hot on his heals #182 Tim Ackers with #863 Leigh Bishop in the spray of the rocks.
I watched Leigh charge the big yellow race truck after the leaders, then had to run (literally) to catch the leaders at the first road crossing of the sand race track. 100 meters of running like a worn-out diesel, I got to the crossing. Just in time, I lifted the camera to my eye and McCall charged through at pace. I got three shots and then Daynom hit the crossing like a freight train, with an even bigger freight train in pursuit. I got the photo of Brendon Midgley and ran up the hill to the next crossing. Absolutely knackered half way up the hill, I started to walk and missed McCall blast through with his rivals trying to run him down. As I got to the road at the top of the hill the rest of field was pouring through. A big crowd had gathered up there and had a great view of the start of the battle royal that was quickly developing.
I’d missed the leaders here, but knew that if I pushed on toward Coast Road I could see them exiting the sand track. I jogged/walked downhill to the sharp right-hand corner that brought the sand track section to a close. Waiting at the corner was Woodhill 100 winner, Grant Ferguson and Samantha. When I got there, the mid pack was still running past the corner and heading to Coast Rd. We chewed the fat as I shot the pack until the back markers went past. It got quiet and we talked about Woodhill’s past and the characters we both knew. But it wasn’t too long before we heard the approaching thunder’s distant roar.
#157 on the charge through the first road crossing on Lap 1. Still in the sand track complex, this was within 100m of the pits, but at least 3kms into the race.
#193 Templeman takes up the pursuit, the second car to leave the Start Line.
#124 Brendon Midgley blasts away from the Start Line and into the chase.
4th on the Racetrack #195 Rene Sciarone sets off in pursuit.
#157 Tony McCall at the end of the sand tracks on Lap 2. Still in the lead, but not by as much as he would have liked
By now we had been joined by Offroad Racers stalwarts, Stu, Derrick, Neil, Andrew, Gillian, Hans, and Lindsay. Before too long Nick joined the impromptu commentary squad, entertaining the gathering crowd in the corner. Then it happened. A low-flying Tony McCall in full sand track attack mode with Brendon Midgley, less than 10 seconds behind, in close contact. #157 McCall hit the corner at pace and roared off toward Coast Road. #124 Brendon Midgley raced thru with no sign of #193 Daynom Templeman. We later found out, that Daynom’s gearbox had a terminal issue on lap 1 that ended his Woodhill early.
Next into our corner was #NZ1 Carl Ruiterman, 40 seconds behind the leader, having passed #195 Rene Sciarone somewhere between the start and our exit of the Sand tracks. Within a few seconds of Carl disappearing towards Coast Road #S41 Steven Stokes, with #S80 Andrew Williams in train, came hurtling through the sand toward us. This was a change to the starting order, with the older CanAm now in charge.
30 seconds later and the roar shaking the forest could only mean a fast-approaching V8 was heading our way. #860 Keri Louie hit the lumps in the sandtracks with real pace. Airborne over every rise and in a hurry, Keri slammed our corner and blasted through the trees on the gravel. He’d come from 14th on the grid to 6th halfway through Lap 2. He was on a mission and the commentary team in the corner was musing the serious carnage that must have been happening in these sandtracks.
#124 Brendon Midgley in hot pursuit of McCall at the end of the sand tracks in the first lap.
#NZ1 Carl Ruiterman arrives in the last corner of the sand track in 3rd position during lap 2.
#S41 Steven Stokes battles #S80 Andrew Williams. There was at least one overtake during the sand section of lap 2, running 4th & 5th at the last sand track corner.
#860 Keri Louie must have had a hell of a good run through the sand in the first lap. 30 seconds behind 5th place Andrew Williams and comfortably in 6th, having started at 14th on the grid.
Now the corner got really busy. #182 Tim Ackers was 7 seconds behind Keri Louie, with #S39 Mal Langley 3 seconds behind him. Then U31 Shane McWatt appeared in the corner only 3 seconds behind Mal with #U32 Neil Coutts 4 seconds behind him. 20 seconds later #195 Rene Sciarone blasted through. He’d lost a ton of positions and looked hell-bent on getting them back. 3 seconds separated him from #U72 Scott Mitchell, with nothing seperating him from #S47 Mike Cox (he’s back, by the way…in a Polaris).
The next racer through was #318 Matthew Bishop, now driving through the deepening ruts forming in the corner. Three minutes ago this corner was smooth and you could see the whole wheel. Now the ruts were 200mm deep and getting more severe with each passing car.
Following on came #U80 Neville Greedus. Then it was time for a rush of Buggies led by #360 Tony Attwood, #554 Asher Morgan with #357 Aaron Crabbe in close contact. #369 Tony Marwood and #548 Justin Waller followed on. Next into the corner was veteran racer #398 Kevin Cooper. Class 4 racer #412 Bradley Scott drove through the deepening ruts with #111 Arin Riwhi tucked in behind. They kept coming. All on Lap 2. This was probably the last time they would be through without having been lapped.
#124 Brendon Midgley enters our corner with a Scandi Flick. In the lead on Lap3 and thinking #157 McCall was in pursuit. He wasn’t.
Four more, #811 James Hayes, then #S03 Noah Hutchison then the Turbo Diesel of #850 William Van Der Wal with #C70 Sareena Paterson trailing the pack.
Then he arrived. Not McCall. It was #124 Brendon Midgley in the lead position. And he was driving like his hair was on fire. Throwing the Scandi Flick into our corner, showering us all in sand and rocks as he blasted down to Coast Road.
Was McCall hard on his heels? He possibly thought so, but McCall was where he left him. Stuck in gear on a sand track at the other end of the course. Midgeley on Lap 3 now had a lead of 3 minutes to #NZ1 Carl Ruiterman, who now had a resurgent #S80 Andrew Williams breathing down his neck. One minute later #860 Keri Louie arrived in a strong 4th place. 30 seconds later it was #U31 Shane McWatt in the corner. and on it went.
#NZ1 Carl Ruiterman cornering on Lap 3 in 2nd position.
#S80 Andrew Williams corners the new look Can-Am in 3rd position on Lap 3
#U32 Neil Coutts then #195 Rene Sciarone, then came rush hour on the Southern Motorway. #U72 Scott Mitchell still ahead of #S47 Mike Cox, then #S44 Tim McKay, then #U18 Cam Paton. 30 seconds later #S91 Dave Templeman chased hard by #318 Matt Bishop. #U80 Neville Greedus was still behind him. Then the Maul of Buggies hit again, led by #360 Tony Attwood with #554 Asher Morgan on his bumper and #357 Aaron Crabbe so close behind. the big change here was that #S39 Mal Langley was now swallowed into the midst of the buggies. We didn’t know it, but the Polaris of Langley was having drive belt issues. This would ultimately put him out of the race after he had used both of his spare belts in track-side repairs. A minute later and it was #369 Tony Marwood, then #548 Justin Waller.
And then… he was back. Only 12 minutes after we last saw him. #124 Brendon Midgley was in Lap 4 and right in the midst of lapping over half of the feild. This is the fastest race car on the track. It’s an 18-kilometer lap. He completed it in 12 minutes. The combination of oversized everything and massive wheel travel makes for a Woodhill-eating beast.
#357 Aaron Crabb cornering on Lap3
#554 Asher Morgan heads to Coast Road on Lap3
I did some quick math. In 12 minutes #124 Midgley would be back. Time to get another photo position. Then I’d head back to the Finish line. I went up the sand track, shooting everything that moved. The racers were still coming through, albeit a lot fewer than started less than an hour ago. I was comfortable on the western side, but the background was all scrub. What I wanted was the growing crowd behind the action. I crossed the track. The shots would look great, but I was totally exposed. there was nothing to stand behind that could stop a race car. I figured I’d head back to the main straight as soon as I had another shot of Midgley.
Race leader, #124 Brendon Midgley, bursts through the field on Lap 4. Only 12 minutes after his last appearance in this corner.
#124 Brendon Midgley putting on a display of total dominance in front of a big crowd in the sandtrack
I got in position. Framed up my shot on #357 Arron Crabb and waited. I didn’t have to wait too long. Midgley was blasting my way in third gear, flying off the lip of the low dunes formed in the track. He was confident and in control. It didn’t matter, the camera was barking in time to the fast action coming its way. He flashed past. I kept shooting until he was out of sight. Checked that the track was clear and legged it back to the safe side of the yellow tape. I said goodbye to my old friends in the corner and headed back to the Pits, the Finish Line and the next part of the show.
It was on the way back that I got a good look at the size of the crowd that had ventured 40 minutes north of Auckland to one of my favourite places. Find a high spot, and with the sand tracks, in a clear fell area, playing such a big part in the race. You really could take most of the race in. I was talking to 2019 Woodhill 100 winner #171 Paul Smith, spectating, when Mal Langley paused in his long walk back to the Pits. He had stripped two drive belts on his S Class UTV and was out of options for the race. I followed them back to the pits. The Start Finish and Pit Entry Exit all happen on the last long gravel straight, before the track becomes all sand track. The racer flashed through here at their fastest speeds. Flat out in top gear, with race leader clocking 175kph as he raced past the pits and the large crowd. He was passing this spot every twelve minutes. When he wasn’t roaring past, race cars were pulling into the pits and heading to the Fuel Bay. Other cards were coming out of the Pits to rejoin the race. These were being stopped, safety checked and released into the race by the experienced team of Woodhill 100 marshalls. People wanting to cross the track were in the care of Stacey, our crossing guard. The track announcer was doing a great job of keeping the fans in this area up to date with the progress of the race. It wasn’t long before race leader #124 Midgley was starting his last lap. This was the longest twelve minutes in Motorsport. In that time we found out that our likely 2nd place-getter would probably be #860 Keri Louie with the newest car in the Field the #S80 CanAm Maverick R of Andrew Williams.
The clock ticked down. The Chequered Flag came out. And there it was. The 2024 Winner of the Woodhill 100 trophy, #124 Brendon Midgley. Second Place was #860 Keri Louie and Third Place went to #S80 Andrew Williams
Racer and Co Driver of #S39 Mal Langley return to the Pits on foot, from a breakdown in the Sand Track complex.
The 2024 Woodhill 100 winner #124 Brendon Midgley takes the chequered flag.
2024 CoSell Woodhill 100 – Round 4 of the
CT CIVIL New Zealand Offroad Racing Championship 2024
DNF S39 Malcolm Langley WORRC
#S80 Andrew Williams airborne during the sprint to qualify.
#860 Keri Louie rising up to the challenge during the sprint for the starting position in the Woodhill 100.
ORANZ Overall
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#182 Tim Ackers in low-flight mode during qualifying.
#M58 Luke Rowberry with arch-rival #M34 Tanner Willets, in full attack mode, hitting the right angle corner off the main straight, during the Kiwitruck Enduro
The Advanced Aerospace KiwiTruck Enduro was a timed duration event that same both classes of KiwiTruck race on a shortened Woodhill 100 lap for 30 minutes. The race quickly became an absolute spectacle. In front of a large crowd, the entire field of our young and talented drivers took their KiwiTrucks to the absolute edge. Battles for positions ensued. No quarter was given and none taken. At the front the season-long rivalry between M58 Luke Rowberry and M34 Tanner Willets astonished the crowd when they hit the hard right-angle corner off the 500m straight at full throttle in top gear, sliding the corner and letting the berm act as a cushion to get them back on track. Amazing to see and neither got off the gas. The pursuit continued like this throughout the race and with every racer putting on the show. Great to see. A real highlight of the day and a great way to warm the crowd up for the main event.
Advanced Aerospace Kiwi Trucks Enduro
– Woodhill 100 – Provisional Results
M Class:
1st – M58 Luke Rowberry
2nd- M99 Dylan Buckley
3rd- M29 Vincent Joy
4th- M44 Lucy McKay
5th – M51 Lilly Williams
6th – DNF M34 Tanner Willetts
J Class:
7th – J34 Bryn Willetts
8th – J26 Zac Rowberry
9th – J11 Jack Rice
10th – J48 Jack Doland
The Fastest in the Forest
– Woodhill 100 Champions
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