10 July 2013
Toughest offroad race attracts record entry
• ENZED on board for spectacular offroad endurance race
• All-new course with spectator-friendly farmland start
• TV coverage, dates, distance confirmed
Organisers of the 2013 Taupo 1000 international offroad race have confirmed a record entry for September’s event, with
pre-race ‘intent’ registrations standing at 140.
Taupo 1000 spokesperson Tony Saelman says the race now has a major sponsor, television coverage confirmed, an all-new
course based around a ‘classic’ 50 km lap, and the biggest-ever entry – all of which are “a major step forward” and an
endorsement of the quality of the event itself.
The two-day endurance race recently signed a main sponsor and will be known as the ENZED Taupo 1000.
“We’re really pleased that such a high profile company as ENZED, with such a long and proud history of involvement in
motorsport, has become our main sponsor and event partner. This adds so much to the months of hard work we do as race
organisers and volunteers to make this iconic race happen,” he said.
It is the first time ENZED has become involved in offroad racing at such a high level.
With eight weeks until the race cars and trucks grid up to race, five former Taupo champions have confirmed they will
compete. They are Alan Butler (Auckland), Clim Lammers (Hikurangi), Tony McCall (Auckland), Melvin Rouse (Whangarei) and
Clive Thornton (Whakatane).
Run over three days in September, the Taupo 1000 is the longest, toughest, fastest offroad race in the southern
hemisphere, completing 1000 km over two days – or the equivalent of a Bathurst 1000 track race without once running on
sealed roads. Free practice and qualifying laps are to be held over a short course on Friday 13 September, with the race
itself taking place on the Saturday and Sunday and competitors aiming to complete up to 500 km per day.
The event has been plotted over a new course based around a 50 km lap on new roads never used for the race in its 20
year history, with a new pit and prologue area on rolling farmland just 12 kilometres from Taupo.
“We always try to run to a 50 km lap, it’s part of the challenge of the event. The race runs over two days for safety,
and to ensure people get a good run at the whole event. It’s an epic distance and an epic course, and we are very
excited to see the response from racers,” said Mr Saelman.
The international standing of the Taupo 1000 grows year by year. With race teams planning their Taupo 1000 assault up to
two years before the event, the event always draws record numbers of media and is covered for television in New Zealand
and Australia.
The Taupo 1000’s official coverage will screen in New Zealand on TV3. In Australia, the race will be shown on Simon
Christie’s popular 4WD TV programme. Christie and his crew have covered the Taupo 1000 since 2007.
Each year the online profile of the race grows, with its Facebook page attracting tens of thousands of views per day and
a race-weekend daily ‘reach’ approaching 400,000. Racers post on-board and other footage on Youtube and link the
coverage back to their own team’s social media channels and to the event page.
This year, the race will once more be a feature of the CRC Speedshow, New Zealand’s biggest automotive and motorsport
expo.
“Every time this race happens it takes huge steps beyond what has gone before. One of the great things this year is the
new track. We have been able to bring the race much closer to Taupo, and the new start-finish and pit area is on wide,
open rolling farmland which means spectators get to see plenty of race action from the one location,” said Mr Saelman.
The 2013 ENZED Taupo 1000 begins with practice and qualifying on Friday September 13. Race days are Septrember 14 and
15. Event information is available online at the race website www.taupo1000.co.nz and on its Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/EnzedTaupo1000
About the Taupo 1000
Longest, toughest, fastest: the Taupo 1000 has been the flagship event in New Zealand offroad racing since 1992.
It has always run to a total distance of 1000 km, and has consistently attracted international entries.
Initially modelled after the Baja 1000 offroad race in Mexico, the Taupo 1000 has a higher average speed than that
northern hemisphere classic. It is run every two years in recognition of the punishing challenge racers face in trying
to win this ‘race among races’ and the preparation required in order to complete 1000 km of racing in two days.
Every year, the Taupo 1000 takes a step forward in event management, technology and quite simply the ‘wow’ factor of
bringing together more than 100 of the top offroad race teams from New Zealand and overseas for a two-day thrash through
the logging roads and tracks of the biggest production pine forest in the southern hemisphere.
This year the race takes place on an all-new track just 12 km from downtown Taupo. As always, the pit lane for the race
will create a temporary village with its own eateries, hot drink vendors, results facility and public address system.
This year the race will also have its own FM radio station. The start/finish area is on wide open rolling farmland where
the racers will be visible for several kilometres before they power off into the forest.
About ENZED
ENZED began life in New Zealand in the mid 1970’s with the idea of providing a comprehensive hose and fitting service
system across all industry sectors. The company pioneered the concept of mobile service vans attending to the needs of
clients on site and thus minimising machine downtime.
At the time, the hydraulic hose and connector replacement industry operated in a very traditional manner. Machinery and
equipment came to a stop with hose assembly failure, which required removal and identification of the damaged part,
getting access to the part and then reassembly. It was all very time consuming, expensive and inconvenient. The ENZED
solution was to develop comprehensively equipped service centres and then to take service to its customers using mobile
hose shops that can make up virtually any replacement hose assembly quickly, reliably and cost effectively on site.
ENZED’s innovative business model reshaped the industry as a whole and has saved customers millions of dollars in
downtime. In the process the company has established a whole new level of quality service.
Today, ENZED HOSE DOCTOR®s are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and the company’s service is second to none.
Service, quality and response to the needs of customers has seen the business grow across Australia and New Zealand.
The company’s emphasis on quality and service has earned it accreditation to ISO 9001:2008 which is annually audited by
Det Norske Veritas (DNV), an external auditing body that ensures compliance with all ISO Standards.
“Intent” list of entries to date
1.Pete Tinsley559Hastings NZ2.Gary Baker & Alan Entwistle830Whakatane NZ3.Mike Holmes610Nelson NZ4.Andrew Wilton534Hastings NZ5.Craig Lord & Nigel Karl999Auckland NZ6.Glen Raymond215Auckland NZ7.Scott & Michael Hay2Auckland NZ8.Angela Lloyd227Rotorua NZ9.Don Morgan418Wellington NZ10.Phillip Johnston1001Auckland NZ11.Paul Smith171Hamilton NZ12.Mike Cox875Rotorua NZ13.Stephen Green500Auckland NZ14.Bryan Chang847Christchurch NZ15.Alan Hilliam109Waikato NZ16.Kurk Youngs & Glen Turvey457U.S.A.17.Vincent Harvey125Christchurch NZ18.Warren Adams697Auckland NZ19.Jared McGillivray232Whakatane NZ20.Roger McKay666Invercargill NZ21.Colin Sandford806Auckland NZ22.Ernie Hogg190Auckland NZ23.Jim Saxton6??Nelson NZ24.James Buchanan397Auckland NZ25.Colin Meredith130Waikato NZ26.Andrew Briggs & Andy Paterson474Feilding NZ27.Ian Foster1083Auckland NZ28.Daniel Powell118Christchurch NZ29.Neville Taylor/Paul Milne664Nelson NZ30.Allan Joy804Auckland NZ31.Steve McConnell600Auckland NZ32.Darrin Thomason & Shane Carey444Nelson NZ33.Martin van der Wal829Palmerston North NZ34.Jeff Glover321Wanganui NZ35.William van der Wal8??Levin NZ36.Clim Tristan Lammers128Northland NZ37.Justin Leonard & Scott Nicholls882Wellington NZ38.Richard Crabb100Auckland NZ39.Roly DixonNSW AUST40.Alastair Manning & Terry De Graauw3NZLower Hutt NZ41.Craig Patterson214Auckland NZ42.Peter May & Ricky MayC69Palmerston North NZ43.Brian Howat2??Wellington NZ44.Brent Humphrey10??Auckland NZ45.Alan Butler110Auckland NZ46.Ivan Booth5??Palmerston North NZ47.Lucinda Maynard205Auckland NZ48.Chris Whyte & Andrew Thomason140Auckland NZ49.Neville Mather245Hamilton NZ50.Mike Konings991Whangarei NZ51.Jono Richard Climo869Auckland NZ52.Clive Thornton150Whakatane NZ53.Reece TrotterU02Ashburton NZ54.Gary WatsonU90Rangiora NZ55.Warren JefferyWellington NZ56.Dale Shannon340Tauranga NZ57.Jimmy Johnston & Mike Alexander012Auckland NZ58.Rex Croskery450Te Puke NZ59.Josh Hoyland365Matamata NZ60.Craig Westgate836Whangarei NZ61.Scott Buckley???Auckland NZ62.Nigel Newlands206Waikato NZ63.Paul Eayrs169Wellington NZ64.Tony White606Auckland NZ65.Martin Gore111Hamilton NZ66.Keri Louie680Auckland NZ67.Troy Tuffnell376Auckland NZ68.Klem Christensen605Taupo NZ69.Richard A Bachand236 TruckKamloops B.C. Canada70.Clim Lammers115Hikurangi NZ71.Garry & Warren Hopkins4??New Plymouth NZ72.Tim Culling121Melbourne AU73.Anthony Hewitt230Auckland NZ74.Gregg Carrington - Hogg & Taine CarringtontbaAuckland NZ75.Dave Crabb357Kerikeri NZ76.Donald Preston800Winton NZ77.Daniel Connor6??Taupo NZ78.John Gray4??Rotorua NZ79.Greg Mullins303Pukekohe NZ80.Chris Nicholls???Napier NZ81.Gary Scott417Kumeu NZ82.Paul Ruston???Stratford NZ83.Gary Preston378Stratford NZ84.Ashley Kelly192Nelson NZ85.David Forsyth381Hastings NZ86.Steven Stokes322Whangarei NZ87.Grant Sleeman197Papatoetoe NZ88.James Rolton???Wellington NZ89.Eric Norman TeersR06Waikato NZ90.Ben Thomasen???Tauranga NZ91.Michael SmallR88Tauranga NZ92.Carter Strang & Grant Guy832Invercargill NZ93.Grant Rosenburg469Palmerston NZ94.Melvin Rouse135Hikurangi NZ95.Hall Motor Racing861Manukau NZ96.Steven PaceyC09Tauranga NZ97.Derrick Piper3??Matamata NZ98.Paul Hussey???Inglewood NZ99.Malcolm Langley193Whakatane NZ100.Raana Horan899Auckland NZ101.Mokai (mooks) Paraha???Auckland NZ102.Shane Earl HumberstoneRZRGisborne NZ103.Rocket Ron KirkmanRZRWhangarei NZ104.Dave BonnifaceU77Auckland NZ105.Kenneth Mawson575Napier NZ106.Brendon Holland826Auckland NZ107.Lance Cargill126Warkworth NZ108.Hamish LawlorNZ1Gore NZ109.Jason Delahunty???Mt Maunganui110.Geoff MatichC18Auckland NZ111.Brendon Old333Stratford NZ112.Jay Murray386Auckland NZ113.Brendon John Elmiger???Taupo NZ114.Nevil Basalaj???Nelson NZ115.Sam Baddeley626Taupo NZ116.Brett Granger904Christchurch NZ117.Andrew Scarr & Andre Douglas277Auckland NZ118.Maurice Bain900Opotiki NZ119.John van Dyk372Nelson NZ120.Braden Hill346Christchurch NZ121.Sam Murray & Rob RyanUTVCanterbury NZ122.Michael John Hendy???Auckland NZ123.Matthew Pratt3??Canterbury NZ124.Devlin Hill305Auckland NZ125.Robin Smith202Auckland NZ126.Trevor Currin908Whangarei NZ127.Michael Mabille???Auckland NZ128.Leon Patchett & Colin Buckley???Auckland NZ129.Darin Neeley???Whangarei NZ130.Trevor Cooper189Waihi NZ131.Tony McCall157Auckland NZ132.Mike GrahamUAuckland NZ133.Phillip SmartU08Auckland NZ134.Greg Winn371Nelson NZ135.Jardyne Lammers124Hikurangi NZ136.Andrew Hawkeswood???Auckland NZ137.Mike Hughes801Europe138Blair Gibb HowdenRZRWinton NZ139Brendon Midgely301Auckland NZ140Tony RadisichU69Auckland NZ
ENDS