A brilliant final day from Peter and Josh Skaza has seen the pair enjoy a stunning maiden 2018 CAMS NSW Off Road Championship round to win the Nabiac Hotel Airport Challenge.
In the overall Championship standings, despite finishing out of the top 10, Super1650 class winners Scott Brown and Tony Burgess scored enough points in the to be crowned the 2018 CAMS New South Wales Off Road Champions.
The pair were aided by the performances of their title rivals in Richard and Therese Wilton and third placed Warren Barron and Teghan Barric, with both teams finishing the event below Brown and Burgess.
With 48 vehicles taking part in the final state championship round for 2018, it was always going to be challenge for the Skazas, however they showed no sign of intimidation throughout the weekend.
In the top-two from the start, the pro buggy pilots were one of only two teams to break the 14-minute mark in the first heat, constantly breathing down the neck of leaders Phil Lovett and Luke Stanley.
Despite the Skazas dropping down the field in heat two with the fifth fastest time, they still finished the day in second and only 50 seconds behind Lovett and Stanley, who had continued their good form with another solid under 14 minute heat.
It was completely different story on Sunday as the Skazas dominated the third heat to claim the fastest and only time under 30 minutes, while Lovett and Stanley finished the heat almost six minutes behind.
Capitalising on the poor heat from the SXS drivers were Matt Huxley and Derek Seam, with the duo rewarded for their constant pressure on the front two in the opening heats.
Huxley and Seam’s charge for top spot didn’t last long though, the duo dropping down the field after a disappointing final heat, while the Skazas held onto their strong lead to win the Challenge.
Finishing second outright was Derek Rose and Bill Coote who showed great reliability following the demise of two of the top four teams, while Australian Off Road Championship regular Greg Campbell secured third outright.
Like the Skazas, it was a brilliant day for both the Pro Buggy pilots in Rose and Coote as well as Campbell, with both teams climbing up the field after ending day one in fourth and seventh respectively.
Peter and Josh Skaza’s outright victory also saw them claim the Pre-Buggy class, while Campbell picked up the SXS Turbo class along with his podium finish.
In other classes, Scott McNeill took out the Prolites class Greg Barron the Sportsman, Kevin Cant the SXS Sports, while Derrin Hedges won the Extreme 2WD, Lucky Mattiussi the Extreme 4WD and Bruce Morgan was victorious in the Production 4WD class.
Click here for more information on the CAMS New South Wales Off Road Championship.
