Goodyear

Wrangler MT/R with Kevlar Tyres Help Hunter Racing to Seventh Successive National Title

GOODYEAR’S WRANGLER MT/R WITH KEVLAR TYRES HAVE PLAYED A CRUCIAL ROLE IN COLIN HUNTER AND HIS HUNTER RACING TEAM WINNING THEIR SEVENTH SUCCESSIVE NATIONAL TITLE IN THE AUSTRALIAN OFF ROAD CHAMPIONSHIP (AORC) AFTER THEY WERE ANNOUNCED AS 2010 CHAMPIONS IN THE EXTREME 4WD CATEGORY.

Despite a mixed year of results, the final points tally gave Hunter the victory after just four rounds of the five-round series were completed when the final event at Goondiwindi was cancelled due to excessive rain.

“It was a very close result in the end, and it’s a shame we didn’t get to take it to the wire in Goondiwindi,” said Hunter.

“It’s a great event, and we would always rather win on the track, but circumstances were against us all this year. Certainly it’s a fantastic result for the old car – a great way for it to go into ‘retirement’.

“It has served us very well over the years but there is no doubt it has reached it’s used by date. We used to be able to finish in the top 10 outright but we’re struggling back in the top 20 now. We’re confident the new car will give us that edge again, once it settles into race mode.”

Hunter Racing’s new car, which is due to enter competition in 2011, is a Dodge Ram powered by an Extreme Motorsports-built V6 twin-turbo, which has an expected output of 800hp. Like its predecessor, it will also utilise the Goodyear Wrangler MT/R with Kevlar rubber.

A purpose-built Extreme 4WD, it has a fully fabricated chromoly chassis built in the US by Penhall Fabrications. The diffs and gearbox were custom-built by Traction Products/Weismann Marine, also in the US, while the fibreglass body was modelled by California’s Mike McQueen on the front-running Trophy Truck of Brian Collins.

The car was built as a ‘roller’ in the USA to Hunter Racing specifications to suit Australian tracks and has been fitted out at the team’s Brisbane workshop.

As with the now-retired Jeep Grand Cherokee, the new car will compete in the ‘Extreme 4WD’ class of the AORC. This is open to highly modified 4WD vehicles with engines not exceeding 6000cc.

“We’re very excited about this car. It’s something very different for us, and probably for the sport here in Australia,” Hunter says.

“We’re planning on doing some fairly serious testing between now and Christmas and then a few low-key races early in the new year, just to give it a bit of a shakedown before the 2011 AORC kicks off in WA in April.”

Hunter is cautiously optimistic that the new car will be able to equal the achievements of the old car straight out of the box, and says if it can live up to those expectations, all credit will go to his team.

“My team chief Stewart Knowles and all the guys have put a huge amount of effort into the new car as well as keeping us racing in the old car at the same time. I’m delighted that we’ve taken out the class win again because another trophy goes part of the way in recognising their fantastic efforts.

“I’d also like to acknowledge the work of my new co-driver Simon Campbell. It hasn’t been an easy year but he has done a fantastic job and I’m looking forward to working with him again next year, especially as we get the new car up and running.”

Hunter Racing would also like to thank Goodyear, Modena Engineering and Extreme Motorsports for their ongoing support and dedicates this latest win to the people involved who have helped make it all happen.

Tags: Colin Hunter, Goodyear Wrangler MTR, Kevlar tyres