Chris Browning is no newcomer to off road. With Kempsey as his hometown, he was drawn into the excitement of what was probably the biggest round of the Australian Off Road Championship in its day.
“Between 1990 and 2002 I competed in that single AORC event 11 times either as a navigator or driver but I didn’t ever have the resources to do other events,” said Browning.
In 2010, Browning joined forces with navigator Chris Clarke, forming CnC Racing.
“We essentially started competing in the championship in 2013, doing three of the five rounds then we did four of the five rounds in 2014 and three of three rounds in 2015,” explained Browning.
The partnership yielded results straight up, the pair finishing second in the Super1650 class in 2013, going on to take the class championship in 2014 and 2015.
The team took a break in 2016, selling their Lothringer to Declan Cummins, who went on to win the Super1650 class championship in 2017.
In mid-2016, CnC Racing took ownership of an Alumni Craft Nissan 3500cc, which was built for Andrew McClelland in 2013.
In 2017, Browning and Clarke returned to the BFGoodrich CAMS AORC to have a tilt at the prolite class.
The CnC Racing team’s results at the St George 399 were hampered by a flat tyre 11 kilometres into the first section but a good run to make up for lost time saw them complete the fastest prolite lap to finish fifth in class and 15th outright.
With a second in class and 10th outright at the Tatts Finke Desert Race, Browning and Clarke found themselves in contention not just for the class championship but also the BFGoodrich CAMS AORC.
Browning and Clarke’s highlight of the year was at the inaugural Rainbow Desert Enduro. The pair claimed their first podium finish in an AORC round, finishing second outright and first in the prolite class.
Asked about his favourite event in 2017, Browning said: “I’d have to say Rainbow, the conditions made for great racing and of course it’s always great to finish with a good result.”
Amazingly, the result at Rainbow was not enough for Browning to wrestle the BFGoodrich CAMS AORC from Matthew Martin, who claimed the outright title by an agonizing two points.
With Martin’s navigator Kerri Martin missing the St George 399, Clarke had enough points to take out the BFGoodrich CAMS AORC co-driver title.