This world class 4WD competition is like no other event in Australia and is the model for many international events from Morroco, Indonesia, throughout Europe and many other countries.
2008 ARB WARN OUTBACK 4X4 CHALLENGE
The 10th anniversary ARB Warn Outback 4X4 Challenge held over six properties within Broken Hill and environs was held from May 17 through to the 24th. This world class 4WD competition is like no other event in Australia and is the model for many international events from Morroco, Indonesia, throughout Europe and many other countries. Ten international teams were part of the forty eight strong field for this year’s event. Two vehicles from Venezuela, one from Poland, four from South Africa and three from the UK as well as vehicles from each state of Australia except Tasmania.
The competition was intense right from the first stage, a three kilometer course along the dry sandy Stephens Creek held on the Saturday night, and the top four competitors separated by only three seconds. The course had been redesigned to include extremely tight turns and narrow gaps between trees used in an attempt to keep the top speeds down. As the ruts dug deeper during the stage many competitors were seen up on two wheels hooking in for maximum traction.
Sunday morning had two special stages running side by side on special courses constructed on a mine quarry in the middle of Broken Hill. Cars starting two at a time and a good turnout of approximately two thousand spectators to watch the competition. The track included holes, rock piles, a steep drop into and exit from a dam, and a large cylinder which required compulsory winching to negotiate. Many vehicles started their problems right from these stages with two rollovers in the dam, a few winches burning out solenoids and some broken winch cables. Two broken diffs, a tailshaft on another, a clutch and a radiator on other vehicles. Each vehicle completed both stages during the day.
Sunday evening had the competitors split up into four groups for the week aheads competition and each now had to travel to the various properties ready for a night stage. This year I had been invited to attend as an official and the major role for me was to lead the competitor groups to each event site. We had Group C for the week and our first nights competition was 150km’s north of Broken Hill on a property named Nundooka. After delivering the competitors to the start line marshals at about 10.45pm we proceeded to set up camp, build a fire then download the photos from the day onto the laptop. Our groups stage that night a three hour cross country navigation with fifteen GPS Waypoints to collect symbols from. Three of the points are compulsory, the others if you have time. All within one paddock, sounds easy until you realize the paddock is 26,000 acres and the distance from one point to another is over 9 km’s. This paddock also has the Coco Ranges running straight through the middle so teams were faced with decisions as to where to cross over getting from point to point. The terrain is extremely tough the ground being covered with sharp rocks, the hillsides sliced with shale and dead mulga trees everywhere. Some of the ravines on the hillsides just had to be avoided at all costs. One of our group suffered terminal damage to the steering and after some temporary repairs were able to limp the car back to camp with Barry walking beside the vehicle kicking the wheels straight every few meters whilst his wife Sue idled the car along in first gear low range. Barry and Sue Packer have competed in all ten Outback Challenges to date and some members would remember them as they attended a Southern Cross club trip a few years back. They live in the top of South Australia on the Gunbarrel Highway at Amata, a remote aboriginal community, so they are no strangers to tough conditions.
The next day had three stages on Nundooka, whilst Barry welded the chassis and steering back together before heading back to Broken Hill for some replacement parts. The first stage today was another cross country navigation in the next paddock, six Waypoints to collect in two hours but they were strategically placed to keep the competitors in the hills on the worst of the terrain.
The second stage was a race along a dry creek then a scramble up a course on a steep hillside covered in loose rocks, looping around and then side sloping back down to a finish gate. Our spectator group had moved in to watch the afternoon action and they weren’t disappointed. The next stage again had a creek run but the hillclimb at the end required winching in two places, competitors using extension straps to reach the grader which had been strategically placed to provide a solid anchor point for the winching.
We traveled out to Poolamacca Station for our night stage after refueling at Packsaddle Roadhouse, calling ahead via the UHF Radio ensured we had a good feed cooked and waiting for us to eat whilst the group refueled. Tonight’s event a fifteen kilometer stage along station tracks with pace notes for navigation. It included three gates to open and close and the dust terrible even though competitors left at ten minute intervals. At the start line we had three vehicles carrying out work, one fixing a burnt out winch solenoid, one vehicle running on seven instead of eight cylinders chasing the fault, it turned out to be an ignition lead, luckily they had a spare set in the vehicle. The other chasing a tuning problem, replacing map sensors, CO2 sensors, numerous relays, redoing connections. This problem was to remain with them all week, eventually being traced to a faulty piston ring allowing enough oil past to continually foul the spark plug.
Our group fared well on this stage except for a couple of vehicles that took wrong turns, eventually costing them a DNF (did not finish) on time. During the week this stage would have a rollover at high speed and many suspension and steering breakages. Camp that night was in a creek bed with only a short transport to our next day’s stages. Early pack up required as the morning stage had a 7.30 start time.
A two and a half hour navigation, starting two minutes apart. Competitors were given one GPS Waypoint and had to travel to that to find the next waypoint etc etc. Being allowed to use the station tracks on this one as many gates had to be negotiated, the speeds were fast and the overtaking or being overtaken gave you an idea of how you were traveling. The next stage finished with a steep winch up a vertical granite rockwall. Due to the steepness of the rockwall it was made as a compulsory winch between two sets of lines, another grader being used as the anchor point.
Final stage for the day was a ten point cross country navigation. The finish line conveniently placed on a ridgetop surrounded by gorges. Competitors had to decide whether to travel in the creekbeds or on the ridges and when they could safely traverse between them. Tough going and during the week the marshals had to go in on motorbike and lead numerous teams out as once the sun had set you just couldn’t tell where it was safe to drive and where not. Bad luck for our team from Venezuela in the 78series Ute, whilst climbing towards a ridgeline they turned to early and suffered a triple rollover, luckily uninjured but able to continue on. I think we all learnt a few new Spanish words that night around the fire. The safety levels in the competition vehicles is great these days, the CCDA (governing body) specifications for rollcages, window nets, helmets and harnesses give a level of occupant safety far exceeding the earlier days of competition.
Wednesday’s competition saw all four groups assemble on Poolamacca Station for three short special stages. One high speed stage and two technical stages. I was marshalling in the creek bed for one of these stages so I didn’t get to see the other stages. Luckily the stage I was on had the best action sections with some really good hillclimbs and an awesome boghole. On completion of the stages we reassembled our group and headed to Viewmont Station, east of Mennindee. Fuel and pizza’s in Broken Hill on the way had the competitors primed for the night stage. A fast run through the trees ending with two billabong crossings. The water was only about 60cm deep but the mud below was bottomless, nobody was able to drive these so had to winch through both, a DNF time of twelve minutes had all but one vehicle completing the course, winch solenoid problems the reason for not completing.
Viewmont Station has heaps and heaps of mud and the two day stages, one a forty five minute DNF the other a four hour DNF. Both stages involved cross country navigation to arrive at the Billabongs where a signpost and a series of gates ensured you weren’t able to miss out on the mud. The action was unreal to watch, vehicles overtaking others through the gates which had been positioned about 30 metres apart to allow for this. One billabong had five vehicles traversing it at once, all well apart from each other. Most of the comp vehicles have bilge pumps fitted these days so as the water comes in they can pump it out in an effort to keep the cabin as dry as possible. Watching this was enough to reinforce why I no longer compete, but from the sidelines it was a great sight.
Unfortunately we lost two vehicles from our group this day as one suffered fuel pump problems followed by a wheel falling off and damaging the hub, studs and wheel. The other suffered a cooked transmission so it was back to Broken Hill for both of them to carry out the necessary repairs.
Our group moved onto Denian Station this night and the night stage was two laps of a Motorkhana course. Denian Station is about fifty km’s east of Viewmont and contains plenty of sand and some really great sand dunes. The night course was set amongst the dunes and competitors were not permitted to see the course prior to lining up at the start line. A couple of really steep dunes, one of which caught out a couple of vehicles from other groups. A Suzuki Jimny all the way from Poland “end for ended” over the dune but landed on its wheels and kept going. Alan Mai in a GQ Patrol not as lucky as his car just landed straight on the roof, one great car destroyed and an early retirement for Al, who had already stated this was his last competition.
Four day stages the next day, the first of which was back at the Motorkhana course, only one lap this time but an extra section added in. The second stage of the day is two at a time racing through a series of twenty four gates on a course about three kilometers in length. Some awesome action between two of the UK Rovers, friendships put aside for just a few minutes.
Stage three for the day is a steep dune starting with a turn at the bottom that ensures no run up. With all the competitors running beadlocks most are running only one or two pounds pressure in the tyres to help them get as far up the hill as possible. The finish gate is just over the top of the hill and ground anchors the only means for winching off. Hard work for the navigators, but some of the tricked up winches, ie twin motors, twin gearboxes etc make light work of the dune once the anchor is hooked up. Final stage for the day a thirty minute cross country navigation, vehicles starting at two minute intervals and getting to as many waypoints as possible inside the DNF time.
Tonight we head back to Poolamacca Station for the next days competition with three short stages, in the same area as Wednesday competition. Upon completion we head back to Silverton pub for a beer before heading into Broken Hill and cleaning up before the presentation night. Well that was Outback 4x4 Challenge 2008, an unbelievable experience. I’d recommend it to anyone.
David Dennis
Posted by: scadmin on Friday, May 30, 2008 - 05:57 PM
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