With the starter’s green flag due to fall on the 2015 Outback Challenge later this month, the Narva Racing teams are busily preparing their highly modified, off-road vehicles for the gruelling event.
As well as supporting this year’s Challenge as one of two major sponsors, Narva has teamed-up with two experienced racing teams in a bid to take out what many regard as Australia’s toughest 4×4 event.
Wearing the blue and white Narva livery this year and featuring an extensive array of Narva lighting including HID driving lamps, L.E.D light bars and work lamps, and upgraded headlights will be Scraptech Racing and Team Barkley Constructions.
Piloted by Dave Cameron with son Simon as navigator, Scraptech Racing is no stranger to the Outback Challenge with Dave having competed in two prior events finishing in a very creditable third and sixth position.
The team will be campaigning a Chev-powered Patrol utility and Dave said he’s looking forward to the event. “I really enjoy the self-sufficiency and endurance aspects of the Outback Challenge,” he said. “We’re extremely pleased to be teaming with Narva this year and to have access to the brand’s excellent range of lights – having quality equipment is a real bonus for this sort of event.”
Campaigning another Patrol is Team Barkley Construction driver Shayne Barkley and co-driver Simon Gipp. Shayne almost tasted victory in last year’s event before mechanical issues arose in the dying stages.
Shayne expected a couple of late nights ahead prepping the vehicle for the big event, with the team busily coaxing as many horsepower as possible out of the Patrol’s 4.8 litre engine.
“We chose to use a modified version of the Patrol engine because it’s nice and reliable, while still delivering good power,” Shayne said. “Reliability and endurance are critical in an event such as the Outback Challenge – there are no workshops and teams have to maintain their own vehicles, it’s a real challenge to keep a race vehicle together for a whole week.”
Shayne said that several night stages combined with night time transport stages required all competing vehicles to invest heavily in lighting.
“As well as racing on night stages, all transportation stages are also at night, so good lighting is an important consideration to help us see through the darkness and dust, as well as to use when making repairs to the car.”
Narva Marketing Manager, George Davies, said Narva had enjoyed a close relationship with Australia’s off-road competition scene for many years.
“Narva is extremely pleased to again be involved in the Outback Challenge this year as a major sponsor of the event as well as collaborating with Scraptech Racing and Team Barkley Constructions,” George said. “Our involvement is an ideal means of further strengthening Narva’s brand awareness and exposure amongst a passionate and enthusiastic target audience, while also providing our product development team with invaluable in-field testing of our lights in some of the most demanding conditions imaginable.”
This year’s event beginning September 25, will contain 20 stages and be held over seven days on private property in outback Broken Hill.
For more information on the 2015 Outback Challenge as a competitor or spectator, visit: www.outbackchallenge.com.au