Spooners Forest will roar into life as some of the most powerful, purpose-built off-road race cars battle for the national title. Racers from all parts of the country will line up for the Green Flag in the forest near Belgrove. Among them are some of the fastest racers in NZ. Nelson racer, #173 Nevil Basalaj is in a battle to dominate the Class 1, unlimited horsepower, field. His number 1 nemesis is #1 Dan Fisher. He is armed with a Razorback imported from Australia. Fisher knows the difference could come down to local knowledge of this forest. As the current national champion he has this feature and many more in his arsenal. Another racer to watch is #110 Alex Bright. Alex has a Supercharged 6.2 litre V8, with grit and determination on his side. To catch the leader will be one thing, to get past will be something else. Overtaking at speed will be an act of pure bravery unless your adversary is developing a problem. But problems do happen when racing in the forest. Holes form in corners as the laps go by. Rocks can destroy anything made of metal and trees act like magnets for the hapless racer. One of the best prepared is #333 Brendon Old from Taranaki. Although limited to 1600cc, Brendon is one of the most mature racers in the field. If he can qualify well and start in the top 6, you’ll need more than a V8 to stop him from winning.
The Ruff’n’Tuff 250 has been raced in one form or another for over 20 years. It has been known as the Castrol 300 among a few other names. It has always been raced in Spooners Forest and this year the race carries vital points in the 2021 JG CIVIL New Zealand Offroad Racing Championship competition. Competitors will face 12, 20km laps and race across ridge lines, through gullies, on forest roads and muddy tracks. There are river crossings and some obstacles best tackled at high speed to use sheer momentum to get through.
There’s no shortage of horsepower arriving to compete and spectators will be in for a treat on the day.
It’s going to be rough and it’s going to be tough, so expect the roughest and toughest to come through and win this awesome race.
Qualifying sprints start at 8am this Saturday 15 May and the big race starts at midday. It’s free entry, so follow the signs into the forest from Wakefield. Bring a picnic and a sense of adventure. It’s going to be a great day out in the forest.