The fourth round of the 2024 BFGoodrich Motorsport Australia Off Road Championship (AORC) is next up with the Markwell Group Gold City 450.
Ahead of the weekend’s event, recap last year’s outing.
Gold City served as the opening round of the 2023 championship delivering plenty of action in its AORC debut.
Competitors were eager to try their hand at the new course, inlcludinf 2022 reigning AORC champions Ryan Taylor and Kye Floyd headlining the entry list.
James Cook and navigator Mitch Aucote made history as the first SXS Pro team to place first outright in an AORC round with a time of 5:13:43.137, momentum they would take into the remainder of the year to finish SXS Champions in 2023.
Taylor and Floyd finished second outright in Charters Tower, the Pro Buggy duo just one-minute behind the leaders.
However, Taylor was able to improve across the weekend, with fastest times in Section 2 and 3 resulting in the class victory.
Little separated the outright top three, with Pro Buggy pair Travis Robinson and Andrew Pinto finishing the weekend in third outright with a time of 5:14:57 hours.
The battle for second place was very tight, with Pro Buggy driver Travis Robinson missing the opportunity by placing third outright with a time of 5:14:57 hours – only 14 seconds behind Taylor.
You can watch the highlights from the 2023 Markwell Group Gold City 450 on 7plus for free.
A first-round podium proved the catalyst for Robinson, who went from strength to strength over the year to become 2023 Champion.
Originally, this event involved the crews racing across nine laps of the 50-kilometre course – however this year, the track has undergone changes by the North Queensland Off Road Association to improve the overall experience for drivers and fans.
The 2024 Markwell Group Gold City 450 is the fourth round of the AORC season and takes place in Charters Towers North Queensland on 30 August – 1 September.
