State News: MAIDEN KEMPSEY 250 FOR HUXLEY AND SEAM

A brilliant performance from Mathew Huxley and Derek Seam has seen the duo take out the Kempsey 250 at Wittitrin, making it their first outright win for the 2018 CAMS New South Wales Off Road Championship.

Dominating a strong field of 39 cars over the course of the 272km event, Huxley and Seam could only manage third place in the prologue and top-ten shootout before a fast start in the first section set up their outright victory.

The #19 Thornbuilt Wasp was never troubled for the remainder of the event, winning all three sections to post a time of four hours, 26 minutes and 40 seconds and a lead of six minutes and 22 seconds over David and Michael Spokes in second place.

After picking up multiple podiums in the season so far, Huxley was proud to finally get the win at an event that has troubled him in the past.

“It was really good to win, it’s something I have been working towards for the past few years now.” Huxley said.

“I was in a really good position to win it last year but mechanical failure caused a roll over, so I went back this year to push harder and we pulled it off which was great.”

The battle for second place was a much closer affair with the Spokes brothers losing both the first and third sections to Can-Am BRP Maverick X3 pilots Jay Neate and James Milligan.

However a stellar second stage from the Jimco 2000 Series drivers and the fastest lap of the event was enough to build a gap of 43 seconds and to secure second place.

Just under eight minutes separated Neate and Milligan with the eventual fourth placed Richard and Terese Wilton, while Scott Brown alongside Tony Burgess and Karina Yates rounded out the top five.

Neate and Milligan’s podium finish also saw them take out the SXS Turbo class, while the Wiltons didn’t leave the event empty handed, picking up the Super 1650 Buggy class. Huxley and Seam’s outright victory also saw them win the Pro Buggy class.

Finishing sixth outright, Kristy Hedley with co-drivers Benjamin Osland and Rikki Hedley, also took out the Extreme 2WD class.

Tim Battle and Mark Delforce finshed eighth outright and took out the Sportsman Buggy class despite receiving a one minute and 50 second stop penalty.

In the remaining classes, Winston Parr and Paula Hayes won the Production 4WD, Justin Chisholm and Irene Keramidas the SXS Sports class and the pairing of Robert McCarthy and Rory Wills claimed the Sportslite class.

It was a disappointing weekend for the prologue winners Phil Lovett and Paul Gunther and prologue runner-ups Peter and Marda Carr with both teams retiring on the second section.

The win now puts Huxley at the top of the New South Wales Off Road Championship standings after David Chandler retired after completing just three laps.

Click here for the full Kempsey 250 results.