GasDash – Day One Wrap


Renton charged through the field in his V8 Jimco to take the day one lead at the Gascoyne Dash

Day One of the 10th Anniversary Gascoyne Dash proved to be a battle of the fittest as competitors negotiated high temperatures while tackling the tough 198km loop around Bidgemia Station, near Gascoyne Junction in Western Australia. Featuring fast station tracks, climbs through the rocky Kennedy Ranges, short stints in the river and the red desert sands, the Gascoyne Dash lived up to it’s tough reputation, reminding all that “winning is something, but finishing is everything.”

Starting at 8am, Brett and Kevin Renton charged from 5th on the grid to first on Day One at the Gascoyne Dash in their #74 Jimco. Shane and Curt Elphinstone are currently second after the 198km loop in the #44 Holeshot, ahead of Dave McShane and William Kirkhope in the #811 Cross Country Tacoma. Elphinstone had started the day first on the road, but relinquished the lead in the second half of the course after a big hit dislodged some ECU wiring forcing a quick trackside repair.

#968 Brad Cooper was in the hunt for the lead until two flat tyres, one of which he had to drive to the finish on saw him end the day in fourth. Peter and Corrina Lindeboom took the Prolite honours and fifth outright. Ahead of #19 Troy and Deb Schoen in sixth who launched the South Cross skyward at the famous Lochie’s Knob leap. Rod Barton and Geoff Butler were 9th outright and the quickest Super 1650 and #766 Chris May and Paul Zano were the quickest Suzuki and topped the Production 4WD Class leaderboard. Twenty teams are recorded as finishers at the end of day one.

#49 Brodie Black  led the bikes field away at 10:30am and held off a hard charging Ben Grabham through Lochie’s Knob and through to Gascoyne Junction. A quick fuel stop saw Grabham snatch the number one spot on the road on his #111 KTM and wind the throttle wide open to establish a section winning margin of 6min 36sec by the time he crossed the finish line back at the Coonatha bivouac. Brodie Black held on to second, ahead of #29 Matt Fish in third.

Logan Trigg was the leading quad home on day one of the Gascoyne Dash. He finished 9th outright in a time of 2hr 30min 20sec, ahead of #116 Richard Maxted (13th) and #921 John Iuliano (14th).

The offroad racers and riders face another 200km loop of Bidgemia Station on Sunday, with the track modified to include an exciting 50+km of river bed between the first and second checkpoints. Providing the drivers with a taste of the events signature terrain.