Hunter grabs first win for 2008

Hunter Racing began its 2008 Australian Off Road Championship campaign as it plans to continue, finishing first in class and 18th outright in the series’ newest event, Victoria’s Donald 500.

Colin Hunter, Margot Knowles and their V8 Jeep Grand Cherokee run in the ‘Extreme 4WD’ class, managing to coming home first in class in the Prologue as well as the three individual race sections – but not without incident.

"The track was very fast and smooth and there was no dust because of recent rain, but by the second lap on Saturday, we were having engine problems," Hunter says.

"We completed the lap but we were way down on power. I think we had dropped two cylinders but the team was able to sort it out overnight."

The first lap on Sunday was fine, and Hunter was delighted with the way the Jeep was performing, but it wasn't to last "About three or four kilometres into the second lap, we were facing the same problem we had on the Saturday – we had dropped two cylinders. We were going alright on parts of the track, but we really struggled in soft, boggy stuff and through corners."

“Luckily there was a 45-minute service break between Section Two and Section Three, so the team changed spark plugs and coils and anything else they could manage in the time, and the car ran really well for that last lap but backed of to ensure a finish, so we ended up with a result."

Hunter says team manager Stewart Knowles and the crew will strip the wiring harness and inspect and repair it, before the famous Finke Desert Race over the Queen’s Birthday weekend (June 6-8).

"We're thinking the problem is an electrical gremlin as a result of the crash last year, so we need to make sure the car is ready for Finke because it’s always such a demanding race and you want to get it right."

Hunter says aside from the one electrical issue, he is very impressed with the improvements in suspension and handling that have been made to the Jeep in the off-season by the team’s suspension shop, Extreme Race Suspension.

 Hunter's V8 Jeep Grand Cherokee competes in 'Extreme 4WD' which used to be known as Class Eight and is open to highly modified 4WD vehicles with engines not exceeding 6000c.

The Donald 500 was the second round of the Australian Off Road Championship, and was made up of five laps of a 100km course, in three sections, run on private property and council roads around Lake Buloke, three hours north-west of Melbourne.

The event was the first round of the AORC for 'locum' navigator, Margot Knowles, standing in for Bronwyn Humphrey who is on 'maternity leave' after giving birth to her first child. Knowles has previously called for Hunter in the Queensland Rally Championship and the Australian Safari.

 Hunter Racing comes into the 2008 season with ongoing support from Goodyear, Modena Engineering and Chrysler Jeep.