West Australian brothers Beau and Travis Robinson have continued their hot run of form at the St George round of the BFGoodrich Motorsport Australia Off Road Championship (AORC), finishing the opening Saturday section in first and second respectively.
In a tumultuous opening day at St George, the first time the AORC has run at the southern Queensland venue since 2022, Beau Robinson and navigator Shane Hutt prevailed in warm conditions to edge out Travis Robinson and Paul Currie over the two-lap distance. Fellow West Australian Jared Percival finished third outright in his Pro Buggy entry.
Already sitting first and second in the AORC standings after three rounds (albeit in reverse order, Travis is leading Beau), the result helps the pairing cement their positions atop the field.
“We wanted to chip away at it today. The first lap was interesting, almost like a pre-run lap, it was a bit of a wild one at times,” commented Beau.
“You definitely needed that first lap to feel it out as you learn the track, especially since we’re trying to get one and two in the championship. We want to be able to manage it tomorrow, and we’re in a good position to do that.
“I think we’ll see some good times on Sunday because we know our way around now.”
Racing a new 85km track only moments from the stunning Balonne River in St George, competitors were greeted with warm conditions and a fun, challenging learning curve as they came to grips with the venue.
The talk of the day was a spectacular accident endured by SXS championship leader Glen Ackroyd and navigator Mick Price. The pair set out in Prologue and were only moments in when their SXS machine nosedived from a tabletop jump before proceeding to roll end over end. Both walked away OK, however the incident ultimately draws the curtain on Ackroyd’s championship hopes, with his vehicle written off in the process.
Another talking point was Kiwi Boston Morgan-Horan, who made a big statement in prologue to finish 11 seconds clear of Beau Robinson and Shane Hutt. Travis Robinson and navigator Paul Currie were a further three seconds back in third.
However, that would be the highlight of Morgan-Horan’s Saturday; about 14km into the first lap on section one, the Kiwi driver suffered a differential failure and was forced to withdraw. He plans to rejoin the event for sections two and three.
“We were going down a straight, about halfway down I heard bang and the diff was gone,” said Morgan-Horan.
“I’m assuming after Finke and Loveday, the drivetrain has had a hard time – that’s why it went. Our plan for Sunday is to go and have fun, we’ve come a long way so why not.”
With championship leader Ackroyd out of the picture, the SXS title is now heating up with only St George and the final round at Kalgoorlie in October, where a points-and-a-half scoring system will be in effect.
At this stage the two main title combatants are Greg Campbell and Lachlan Bailey. Fittingly, they finished first and second in opening section at St George, with just a 20 second buffer between them setting the scene for an exciting run on Sunday.
“It’s a bit of a surprise to finish on top, we’re really disappointed for Glen,” said winner Greg Campbell. “To watch that little incident was hard… I’d much rather be in second place with Glen in first.
“We had an absolute ball out there, it was so much fun. I like this style of track, lots of tight and twisty sections, and the hard back between the trees is fun.
“I think we’re going to have to play it smart the rest of the weekend. I’m quite surprised to be in front of the other boys. We lost our navigation about halfway through the last lap, and that probably helped us concentrate.
“We want to finish the weekend in one piece, that’s our main concern.”
All the action in St George resumes Sunday morning from 7.30am local time. The final day will comprise a two-lap section two, followed by a single-lap dash section three later in the afternoon.
