2018 Coral Coast Helicopter Services Gascoyne Dash

A FRESH-LOOK Coral Coast Helicopter Services Gascoyne Dash was run and won over the 2018 Easter break, at Carnarvon in Western Australia.

New to the schedule this year was a point-to-point off-road race format, which comprised a 202km blast from Carnarvon to the iconic Gascoyne Junction – punters swagged it overnight – before a run back to the coast the next day.

Speaking about the new format, Ted Schultz, the president of Gascoyne Off Road Racing, said it’s something the committee has been considering for almost 10 years. “The GasDash had downsized over the last few years and we had just been doing some lap races locally,” Schultz said, “To kick it back into gear we needed to do something different and we think the point-to-point format is the way to go.

“It brings the towns of Carnarvon and Gascoyne Junction together, and there are the upsides of an excellent tarmac service road between the centres and mobile communication at the Junction. It’s all come together and the concept has been well received by the locals and competitors alike.”

The Moto division was won by local man Cody Upton, who also steered his Honda to claim the “King of the River” crown – awarded for the best overall time for all competitors (cars and bikes).

The Pro Buggy class title was won by the Elphinstone brothers, with Shane steering the duo to victory. In the Production 4WD Class, Travis Epis piloted his Patrol across the finish line in first place; while Mitchell and Owen Davies – in a tube-framed Navara – were the only competitors in the Extreme 4x4 class to finish both legs.

Click here for the full list of winners.

The 2018 format was a raging success, with no major incidents and with 46 motos and 17 cars completing the 404km event. The Gascoyne Off Road Racing Club is gearing up for an even bigger and better event in 2019. More info can be found on their Facebook page.