Author: Jason Galea
Off Road Racers clean up at CAMS WA Awards night
The WA off road racing community has cleaned up at the CAMS WA awards night. Before we head into the 2018 season it was a great chance to look back and celebrate the successes, class and outright winners of 2017
There were also a few special honours handed out on the night. Firstly the Carnarvon Motel Three Springs 360 won back to back CAMS state event of the year. In a fitting touch, the award was presented to representative from all clubs. One of the event organisers Jeremy Beck identifying this team effort of people from all of the clubs is just a small part of what makes this event special. He also paid tribute to the people of Three Springs and the competitors who this year endured one of the wettest events on record
Mathew Beck was the next big winner, taking out the Bursons Auto Parts Future Star award. For Beck it capped off what has been a great debut season for himself personally and also the WA Off Road Junior Development Program. It was a good night for the youngster who also took home the Performance 2wd class championship
In what was a great night all round, Peter Barrett from the Carnarvon Motel was on hand to present a large cheque to the 4 WA clubs for the 2018 season sponsorship. The Carnarvon Motels support of the series is greatly appreciated by all. Unfortunately Hugh Piercy who is the outgoing WA off road panel chair couln’t attend, but was also recognised for his service to the sport
2017 CAMS, Carnarvon Motel Western Australian Off Road Racing Championship
1st Outright Winner – Driver: Jared Percival
1st Outright Winner – Co-Driver: Michael Davis
2nd Outright Winner – Driver: Malcolm Yeardley
2nd Outright Winner – Co-Driver: Sam Cramer
3rd Outright Winner – Driver: Mark Cramer
3rd Outright Winner – Co-Driver: Peter Doney
Driver – Pro Buggy Winner: Mark Cramer
Co-Driver – Pro Buggy Winner: Sam Cramer
Driver – Pro Lite Buggy Winner: Malcolm Yeardley
Co-Driver – Pro Lite Buggy Winner: Michael Davis
Driver – Super 1650 Buggy Winner: John Flynn
Co-Driver – Super 1650 Buggy Winner: Gary Howe
Driver – Extreme 2WD Winner: Colin Doney
Co-Driver – Extreme 2WD Winner: Peter Doney
Driver – Performance 2WD Winner: Mathew Beck
Co-Driver – Performance 2WD Winner: Jeremy Beck
Driver – Superlite A Winner: Mark Wainwright
Driver – Superlite B Winner: Ashley Sudholz
Co-Driver – Superlite B Winner: Nick Scolaro
Driver – Production 4WD: Graeme Bentink
Co-Driver – Production 4WD: Andrew Kingscott
Driver – Extreme 4WD Winner: Mark Murray
Co-Driver – Extreme 4WD Winner: Jim Ingham
Driver – Sportslite Winner: Peter Barrett
Co-Driver – Sportslite Winner: Craig Carson
Certificate of Appreciation
Hugh Piercy: Service as Chair of the Off Road Panel
2017 CAMS WA Annual Awards
CAMS State Event of the Year: The Carnarvon Motel Three Springs 360
Burson Auto Parts CAMS Future Star Award: Mathew Beck
Perenjori 360 Entries Open
Supp regs are available and entries are now open for the 2018 GTurbo Rod Hatter Memorial Perenjori 360. Entries will be taken through the CAMS online entry system and close on Friday 16th of February
A new season, new cars and new sections of track! Round 1 of the 2018 CAMS, Carnarvon Motel WAORC is going to be huge! Don’t miss out
2018 WAORC Calendar
We are pleased to announce the calendar for the 2018 CAMS, Carnarvon Motel WAORC.
Perenjori 360 – 3rd-4th March
Gas Dash – 30th March – 2nd April
Bencubbin 400 – 2nd – 3rd June
Mid West Challenge – 18th – 19th August
Three Springs 330 – 22nd – 23rd September
Kalgoorlie Desert Race – 27th – 28th October
The series is again being run run by four different clubs over 6 long course events. A competitors best 5 rounds count for the championship and the points system used ensures that outright and class winners are not generally known until the last round is completed. Competitors must also compete in a minimum of 3 events to be eligible to win their class championship
Keep up to date with the series by following us on Facebook
Final WAORC Points 2017
The 2017 CAMS, Carnarvon Motel WAORC is now over and the final points have been tallied. It has been a year of thrilling racing action and we have some very worthy class and outright champions!
Outright Top 3
1st – Jared Percival & Michael Davis
2nd – Mal Yeardley & Sam Cramer
3rd – Mark Cramer & Peter Doney
Pro Buggy
Mark Cramer & Sam Cramer
Prolite
Mal Yeardley & Michael Davis
Sportslite
Peter Barrett & Craig Carson
Super 1650
John Flynn & Gary Howe *
Extreme 2wd
Colin Doney & Peter Doney
Performance 2wd
Matthew Beck & Jeremy Beck
Production 4wd
Graeme Bentink & Andrew Kingscott
Extreme 4wd
Mark Murray & Jim Ingham
Superlite B
Ashley Sudholz & Nick Scolaro
Superlite A **
Mark Wainwright
Final Championship points can be found here
* Daniel & Alf Allen were the highest pointscorers in the Super 1650 class, however did not enter 3 events and were therefore not eligible to be class champions as per 2017 WAORC Sporting Regulations
**No Navigator had entered 3 events in Superlite B
Robinson Strikes gold at the Kalgoorlie Desert Race
The second day of the Black Diamond Drilling Kalgoorlie Desert Race has been a dramatic one and has seen some fantastic racing action. The battle for the outright championship in the 2017 CAMS Carnarvon Motel WAORC has also been a dramatic one.
There were changes before the days racing even started after Troy Schoen pulled out of the event due to some CV damage at the end of Section 1. With the 3rd placed overnight competitor out of the event, this opened up what was already a wide open race for the podium. Section 2 of the race started at 5:30am this morning as the crews blasted off for a single lap of the course. The event leader Scott Schiller was also out early after succumbing to motion sickness. This meant Beau Robinson took over the lead and the OBR pilot did not waste this opportunity, forging a big gap back to the chasing field. Mal Yeardley sensed that his championship title fight was on the line and drove the wheels off his Westside Insurance Specialists Bat Prolite to take 2nd for the section. Adam Flanagan showed massive pace in his trophy truck to sit 3rd during section 2. Yeardley’s title rival Jared Percival was 4th quickest with Colin Doney rounding out the top 5
During the gap between sections 2 and 3, the pits were a hive of activity as crews worked frantically to get their vehicles in fighting condition for the final section. Greg Pickersgill undertook massive work to the rear diff of his truck after some trackside bush mechanics helped them finish section 2. Graeme Bentink replaced his rear leaf springs after breaking them during section 2 and Chris Unstead replaced a bolt which had sheered in the rear suspension. The biggest story was event leader Beau Robinson performing open heart surgery on the #413 OBR truck after developing engine issues in section 2
As Section 3 got underway Robinson used the advantage of the trophy truck around this Kalgoorlie track to again clear out from the field. Robinson would lap some 10 minutes quicker than any other rival to win the event by over 30 minutes! Mal Yeardley continued his strong pace from section 2 before disaster struck, with a jamming and sticking throttle costing him lots of time. With Yeardley dropping back through the pack, Percival seized the initiative to move up to 2nd outright in the event, a result which would see him take out the outright WAORC championship. Adam Flanagan broke a rear hub whilst running in a podium position, an absolute disaster for the Kalgoorlie local. Mark Cramer in the #932 Pro buggy would take the class win and 3rd outright after a measured drive all weekend. Troy Higgins running in an invitational only class sat 6th, whilst mark Wainwright was the quickest Superlite A in 8th outright. New Zealander Richard Crabb had a disastrous section 2, but made his way back to 9th outright, Jason Johnson rounded out the top 10 and was the fastest Superlite B
Throughout the field there were many hard luck stories, with so many competitors completing 2 of the 3 laps and only 13 successfully going the full race distance. Jeremy Lia won Super 1650 class despite failing to finish the final section, whilst Grant Butter took out the Production 4wd class after Graeme Bentink end for ended his Toyota Landcruiser at high speed. Mark Murray won the Extreme 4wd class in his diesel powered patrol
Whilst it ended in heartbreak for Mal Yeardley, Jared Percivals outright championship win means that he is now a 2 time WAORC champion, a massive and impressive feat for this close family team. The Kalgoorlie Desert Race event whilst incredibly tough for the crews, has certainly made an impression on the field, with the general consensus from competitors being that there is massive potential in this event once all the kinks are ironed out. It has been a fitting finale to the 2017 CAMS Carnarvon Motel WAORC and one which looks to have a big future
Thanks must go to the Carnarvon Motel for their support in 2017 as well as Oricom UHF CB and Intense Industries who have been great supporters of the series.
Schiller leads Day 1 – Kalgoorlie Desert Race
Day 1 of the Black Diamond Drilling is in the books and its been a spectacular start to the final round of the 2017 CAMS Carnarvon Motel WAORC. After Friday nights show and shine and scrutineering it would be an early start for competitors on Saturday morning
The prologue kicked off the racing action in the event and out in front it would be a duo of SS Racetech Hustler Pro Buggies out in front. Scott Schiller lit up the time sheets by throwing down a time 20 seconds quicker than Troy Schoen over the 14km prologue. 3rd place would go to Richard Crabb, the New Zealander thriving in the red dirt of the goldfields. In the battle for the outright championship it would be Jared Percival who struck the first blow, clocking in 4th outright whilst his rival Mal Yeardley ended up 7th. There were some impressive drives throughout the field including Dean Terry putting his 2018 CanAm X3 into 8th outright and Mitchell Davies pushing his Extreme 4wd to 11th outright in a strong field of competitors. There were a few competitors who faltered on prologue, Beau Robinson did not start due to steering issues which could not be rectified in time to take the start and Greg Pickersgill who stopped less than a km into the section with brake issues. Carnarvon Motel man Peter Barrett was another unfortunate DNF on prologue in his Sportslite buggy
As Section 1 got underway the crews were attacking the course more like a sprint than the 142km endurance section that it is. With clear air out in front Scott Schiller again threw down the gauntlet and clocked in with the quickest time outright, almost 2 minutes ahead of Beau Robinson who had charged through the dust from 9th on road at the start of the section. 3rd outright was Troy Schoen who had been waging a back and forth battle with Richard Crabb whilst Mark Cramer rounded out the top 5. In the title and Prolite fight, Mal Yeardley hit back, taking the section in class and also 6th outright with Percival right behind him in 7th place. This will make for an interesting race on Sunday as the rivals start nose to tail in section 2. Dean Terry continued to lead the Superlite B class whilst Mark Wainwright pushed his Yamaha hard to lead the Superlite A class. Mark Murray was the only finisher in the Extreme 4wd class which has vaulted him into the lead in that class championship after Mitchell Davies blew a head gasket. Jeremy Lia is the leading Super 1650 competitor ahead of Peter Mellington whilst in Performance 2wd a super effort from Mik French saw him sit 1st in class and 22nd outright
With 2 sections and a hell of a lot more racing to go, the Black Diamond Drilling Kalgoorlie Desert Race is just starting to heat up!
Full results from todays racing can be found here
Kalgoorlie Desert Race – Bulletin #2
The Western Desert Racers have issued a bulletin in regards to this weekends Black Diamond Drilling Kalgoorlie Desert Race.
Full course reconnaissance will now open at 8:00am on Friday 27th October with no vehicle permitted to stat after 12:00pm. For information see the full bulletin here
Kalgoorlie Desert Race – The Grid
The final Round of the 2017 CAMS Carnarvon Motel WAORC, the Black Diamond Drilling Kalgoorlie Desert Race has a field of 30 competitors ready to do battle. We preview the full grid
19 – Troy Schoen comes into the Kalgoorlie Desert Race as one of the favorites. The CCR Hoses & Fittings pilot has already won a round of the WAORC this year and will be expected to run up front again at Kalgoorlie
70 – Jason Adami has made the trek over from the Northern Territory in his Porter Pro Buggy. This beautifully presented machine will be one to watch as he tackles the red dirt of the Kalgoorlie Desert Race
78 – Warren Fennell is back for another crack in his ex Troy Schoen Southern Cross Pro Buggy. A trouble free run could see Fennell in his Elphinstone Mechanical Services sponsored machine sneak into the top 5 at races end
98 – Richard Crabb from New Zealand is according to our records the first international competitor to race in a WAORC event. Crabb has undoubtedly some of the best equipment in the field at his disposal in the ex Hayden Bentley former Finke Desert Race winning machine
932 – Mark Cramer will be looking to seal the Pro Buggy championship for 2017 with a strong result at Kalgoorlie. The Marsue Transport sponsored Southern Cross is a strong contender and will be one to watch
971 – Scott Schiller is tackling his first event in WA this year, but always runs up the front when he does. The spectacular looking SS Racetech machine is a proven race winner and Schiller will be hoping to finish the season with a strong result
110 – Jake Clucas is coming off the back of his strongest ever race result at the recent Three Springs event. If he can recapture that form, the #110 will be on the hunt for Pro Buggies
119 – Jared Percival will have one eye on the outright championship with the points situation so tight at the top. But experience in a title decider is worth its weight in gold and Percival knows the best way to get the job done is just to go out and run your own race
171 – Mal Yeardley comes into the final event of the season leading the points for the first time all year. For Yeardley its a do or die situation and he has indicated that he will be throwing caution to the wind in order to bring home his first WAORC outright title
175 – David Shea Rowett is making his 2nd event start after his debut at Three Springs. The #175 showed plenty of potential and will definitely get quicker over the course of the weekend
195 – George Metaxas has had a solid season and will again be in the hunt for the class podium. Metaxas camouflage prolite buggy has all the goodies required to get the job done and we think George will be sniffing around the top 10 by race end
1032 – Peter Barrett is back for his second run in his recently converted to Sportslite Bullet Buggy. The Carnarvon Motel man is the only competitor in his class, which means he will be setting his sights on taking down some of the other buggy competitors
220 – Jeremy Lia is one of the most aggressive Super 1650 drivers in the country and the Kalgoorlie local thrives in the red dirt. Keep an eye on this pocket rocket when he launches off the line at full noise
232 – Peter Mellington is another Kalgoorlie local hoping to use his local knowledge to his advantage. The former state class champion will be having a red hot go in his battle with Lia
406 – Colin Doney in his blue beetle will be looking to turn the pressure up a notch in his battle with Pickersgill for the class championship. The Doney boys have shown strong pace all year and will be hoping to cap it off with a strong result
413 – Beau Robinson is a former Kalgoorlie winner. The OBR pilot has his Geiser truck dialled in and will put on a massive show when he stomps on the loud pedal for the first time on Saturday
425 – Greg Pickersgill is making the trek across from Geraldton in his pursuit of the Extreme 2wd class championship. Pickersgill’s trophy truck should be well suited to the conditions and red dirt that Kalgoorlie throws up
426 – Adam Flanagan is another Kalgoorlie local who revels in the red dirt of Kalgoorlie. Last season he ran a very strong race to achieve one of his best results at the Kalgoorlie round and will be hoping history will repeat itself
528 – Mik French has been slowly building towards a big result. Each race he has been dialing his Performance 2wd Celica in and with some changes since the recent Three Springs event, it looks to be going better than ever before
660 – Dean Terry would have to have one of the newest vehicles in the field. Terry has taken one of the first 2018 Can Am X3’s delivered to Western Australia and has wasted no time having it converted to CAMS spec and is ready to rumble for its first run at the KDR
670 – Jason Roberts will be making his WAORC debut. Another Kalgoorlie man who will be ready to make his mark in one of the biggest fields of Superlites that we have seen all year
674 – Chris Unstead showed at Three Springs that he has the pace to trouble the rest of the Superlite field. Unfortunately flat tyres hampered his progress there, but the Can Am X3 has a full new set of boots and is ready to charge
699 – Ashley Sudholz had been running a near perfect season until a collision with a tree at Three Springs. But some swift repairs to the Polaris sees Sudholz back in action and ready to battle the KDR
6654 – Rob Clarke is one of 2 Yamaha’s lined up for the Superlite A field. Clarke will be making his WAORC debut and will be ready for a big battle with Wainwright
6627 – Mark Wainwright is the other Yamaha competitor fresh off of his first run at Three Springs. Wainwright has been hard at work making improvements and will be one to watch when the red dirt flies
704 – Grant Butters will be running a Mitsubishi Evo in the Production 4wd class. The Evo is one of the nicest looking Production 4wds out there and has some strong racing pedigree
790 – Graeme Bentink is back with his all conquering G Turbo powered Toyota Landcruiser. The big diesel has been nearly unstoppable this year and will once again be chasing the Extreme 4wds at Kalgoorlie
828 – Rhys Bentink and Caleb Bradfield made their WAORC debut at Three Springs and showed signs that they will be Extreme 4wd contenders in the future. However with this being their first crack at an event the scale of the Kalgoorlie Desert Race, this will be a massive test for the young guns
848 – Mitchell Davies has got the Valvoline sponsored #848 dialled in and ready to mount a serious challenge during the KDR. Davies has shown just how quick he can be all year and it will be exciting if he can end the season in the same fashion as there is a big championship battle brewing
866 – Mark Murray and navi Jim Ingham have put the disappointment of a broken pitman arm at Three Springs behind them and head to the KDR in an interesting position. Does Murray think about the championship and shelve his flamboyant driving style, or does he attack in his normal style? We are tipping the latter
Prolite Points Chase
The Prolite class has been consistently the biggest and most competitive field of the 2017 CAMS, Carnarvon Motel WAORC. This has been punctuated by the all out battle for outright points between Yeardley and Percival, the consistency of Jarrett and the raw pace of Nathaniel Edwards. heading into the final round. There is in fact 5 competitors who are in with a mathematical chance of taking out the prolite class. Whilst the scenario for 4th place Nathaniel Edwards and 5th place George Metaxas would essentially require all their rivals to score 0 points and for them to have a perfect weekend, the battle between the top 3 is much tighter. If you deduct the lowest points scoring round so far from Yeardley, Percival and Jarrett, they are seperated by just 201 points. Any slip up here could be disastrous for their Prolite title aspirations
It is all going to come down to the Black Diamond Drilling, Kalgoorlie Desert Race over October 28th and 29th. This will be the final and deciding round of the 2017 CAMS, Carnarvon Motel WAORC
Full points score can be found here
Kalgoorlie Entries Extended
The Kalgoorlie Desert Race entries have been officially extended and will now close on Friday 20th October at 9:00pm
The bulletin for this entry extension can now be found here