The first round of the 2018 ARB Off-Road Racing Championship kicks off this weekend in Griffith, NSW. If you’ve been living under a rock and haven’t heard of the championship before, you’re in for a treat.
The ARB Town and Country Tyres Stackpoole 400 is the kick off round to the series, with eight massive rounds, starting in Griffith NSW, and finishing in Millicent, SA. Below you’ll find the championship calendar of places and dates so you can get along to see all the action.
Still not sure what it’s all about? Have a go at this video!
Major sponsors for the event include ARB, Mickey Thompson Tires, REDARC Electronics and PWR.
Last year’s winner, Team Mickey Thompson’s Andy Ryan is again defending his title, on his home track in Griffith no less, for the kick off. Andy races a 1JZ-GTE powered Alumi Craft buggy with a set of Mickey Thompson MTZ P3’s grabbing traction on the track.
“I grew up around off-road racing. My Dad was an Australian champion in ’84. I’ve been racing since I was 20 years old, and on and off since then for the last 20 years. I race on the MTZ P3’s, and the biggest difference I’ve noticed between Mickeys and the other brands I’ve tried is the grip, especially around corners. Mid-way through a corner you can feel the sidewalls doing their job. They hook up and get you going again, which really improves your cornering speed. We also use the all-terrains at home on the farm, and my wife has them on the car she drives to town. We’ve never had a puncture on Mickeys, and the conditions out here are tough. With other brands we were getting one or two punctures a week as soon as the tread was a little worn. The beauty of Mickeys, is that you can wear them down to the canvas and you still don’t get punctures,” Andy said.
The folks over at Mickey Thompson will be keeping their Facebook page updated with results over the weekend so make sure you keep a keen eye out.
Entry to the event this weekend is only $10 per person, with catering available. You can find more info on the series over at www.offroadracing.com.au. Here’s the calendar for this years championship:
2018 ARB AUSTRALIAN OFF ROAD RACING CHAMPIONSHIP CALENDAR
| Round 1 | Griffith, NSW | 16-18 March |
| Round 2 | Mildura, Vic | 20-22 April |
| Round 3 | Sea Lake, Vic | 08-10 June |
| Round 4 | Waikerie, SA | 13-15 July |
| Round 5 | Goondiwindi, Qld | 17-19 August |
| Round 6 | Millicent, SA | 21-23 September |
If off-road racing is your thing, (and really, who doesn’t love watching buggies and trucks lobbing round a dirt race track?) and you’re not looking to go to the Brisbane 4X4 Outdoors Show, then it might well be worth a run out to Griffith to have a look at the 2018 ARB Off-Road Racing Championship round 1.
