Team Toyo end the 2015 off-road racing season on the podium.
Team Toyo’s Danny Brown, George Apted and Greg Gartner are bringing home silverware after securing a hard-fought podium positions over the weekend.
Victoria’s Danny Brown and George Apted steered the #42 Toyo Tires buggy to outright victory in the final round of the ARB Off-Road Racing Series in Goondiwindi, Queensland.
Starting from pole after a blistering performance on Saturday during prologue and the Top 10 Shoot Out, Danny and George gave no quarter to the championship leaders breathing down their necks.
“We have wanted to win this, we came so close last year and the year before. Goondiwindi has been cruel to us in the past,” said Danny.
During the 2014 event the #42 buggy’s engine gave up 30 kilometres shy of the finish line on the final lap, negating a three-minute lead on the field.
The Albins ARB Goondiwindi 400 is renowned for being one of toughest tracks on the Off-Road calendar. With conditions dusty, the clean air afforded to the first starter is invaluable.
“There are ‘melon holes’ the size of a car, in some ways it’s the hardest race in Australia, there are so many things that can bite you, and coming off track almost guarantees rolling the car,” Danny said.
Danny Brown and George Apted
With a small accident damaging the buggy’s shocks, Danny was forced to salvage the right-hand suspension from father Andy’s buggy, after Andy was forced to withdraw after hitting a post at 200km/h.
“We started the final stage leading by just 23 seconds. Because the shock wasn’t valved for the car, a jolt knocked off our gas canister, meaning we had no shocks for whole last section. We managed to stay in front but it beat us up. I thought the front of the car might snap off!,” said Danny.
Despite the failing suspension, Danny and George pulled off a spectacular win, recording the fastest lap of the weekend on their final circuit, minus one shock absorber.
In Stadium Super Trucks, South Australian off-road menace Greg Gartner took silverware in his second SST drive, at the high-flying sports Sydney debut.
At home on the dirt at Valvoline Raceway, Greg qualified second, won race two and finished second outright from the night’s three races.
Against a highly experienced field of US drivers Robby Gordon, Sheldon Creed and Keegan Kincaid alongside the likes of V8 racer Paul Morris and stunt man Matt Mingay, Greg’s ability in the trucks grew with every minute of seat-time.
“We started down the back of the field in race two and we got going and I was following Paul Morris and he made a mistake and I didn’t look back,” said Greg. “Everything went really well for us.
“There was a lot of tussling and banging and crashing, but second overall has us really excited. I am loving the challenge.”
Greg Gartner
Both Danny and Greg complimented the performance of their Toyo Open Country M/T-R and Open Country A/T II tyres, respectively.
“We ran the same front tyres from the Pines Enduro. They have over 1000 race kays on them and they still look new,”said Danny.
Greg said the tyres ability to switch from SST racing on bitumen to dirt without any adjustment was impressive.“The tyres were unreal. It’s amazing how those trucks can go from bitumen racing and jumping and cornering, and for them to hang on and then turn around the following weekend and put the tyres straight onto dirt. They can handle the pressures without any changes at all. They perform way up there and are the best tyres I have ever used,” said Greg.
