7/30/2019 Taupo 101

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Whilst there will always be an argument as to what race in what part of the globe is the longest,

toughest, quickest etc, there is no argument towards the difculty of the Taupo 1000 so it has aright to stake a claim down-under as the big one - but regardless of its prowess, it has a uniquefeature that sets it apart from other races, because anyone from any class can win it.

The race is run over two days, with the intent of 500 kms being completed per day. The trick thoughis that you are not allowed to do any more than 500 on the rst day, so no clocking up extra laps tomake Sunday easier.

Each lap is approximately 50 kilometres long. That means at the worst point of distance, you will be25 kilometres away from your pit crew and repairs.

On the Friday of the event, every competitor has the opportunity to set a time for Saturday

mornings grid. Done class by class you run on a short loop track based around the temporary pitvillage that is created on the edge of the forest. Given that the 2013 event has 124 entries, the gridwill be 62 rows long.....

On Saturday you grid up and come 8am you start side by side. No-one can pass until they haveeventually reached the start nish line. After a few laps the eld is spread far and wide so things dobecome a little less crowded. The idea is to nish 10 laps before 3pm - and here is where things getinteresting, and it allows the smaller lower powered machines with a shot at glory. When the rstvehicle completes 10 laps the chequered ag is held horizontal but the race is not yet done. You maycontinue your lapping until 3pm when the chequered ag begins waving. At that point, once youpass it you must pit, your day is done, whether you did 3, 7 or 9 laps.

Whatever lap number it is that you cross the line at before the ag is waved is the one you maycomplete - however, at 3.30pm they send out the quad bikes as Tail-end Charlies, and if they catchyou then your day is also over and that nal lap does not count. This is to stop damaged vehiclescrawling along at a snails pace just to get an extra lap. The forest has rules on what time you muststop and it also would not be nice on the volunteer marshals to be stuck out on the track till latewaiting for a machine on three wheels who is limping back to base.

Sundays grid is where you nished Saturday, and you go through it all again. Up to 500 gruellingkidney punishing kilometres as quick as you and your vehicle allows.

Results are then collated rstly by the amount of laps completed, then in order of time you took todo them. In 2011 Team Hella nished 18 laps in total from 20 available and only missed out on the3pm close off by 27 mins on Saturday and 8 mins on Sunday. The nish was 23rd overall from 86

entries, in a standard road legal 2.4 ton 4wd. But what it means in old-school terminology, is thatthe Davids can beat the Goliaths. He with the most laps makes the places and Team Hella knowshow to do it.

Our battle begins on Friday the 13th our rewards should be shown by late Sunday......

The ENZED Taupo 1000 - A 101 on how this unique race works....September 3, 2013