Extreme action at 4WD nationals | Taranaki Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Taranaki

Tough terrain, blistering weather and plenty of mud made Round 3 of the New Zealand Four Wheel Drive Championship a great success.

Hosted by the Mt Egmont 4WD Club, Round 3 boasted the largest number of entries, with 94 competitors vying for top spots.

Held in Pukengahu last Saturday, the event will be screened on TV3 in March.

Gordon Burnside, club president, said it was the biggest field ever for a competition and that television coverage has lifted the sport's profile.

Competitors tackled 30 hazards, which included hill climbs, swamps and bush tracks. The object is for each vehicle to start at the blue pegs and drive as far as possible, trying to finish by passing through the next set of blue pegs.

Each hazard starts with 100 points and is usually graded in 10 or 20 point lots until a clear drive through is rewarded with zero.

Competitors want to have the least amount of points to win their class.

There are seven classes available to enter in, with Class A open to vehicles with a 0 to 4 cylinder production modified, Class B - 5+ cylinder production modified, Class C - 0 to 4 cylinder production super modified, Class D - 5+ cylinder production super modified, Class E - 0 to 4 cylinder super production, Class F - 5+ cylinder super production and Class G - open production. Entrants compete in a seven-trial series held at various locations across the country between October and Easter, to become the national champions.

The 94 competitors came from as far afield as Canterbury, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Auckland, Wanganui, Wairarapa, Tararua and more.

The Mt Egmont club had 12 entries. They were Graeme and Darryl Goble, Ian Smith/John Jenkins, Scott and Cherie Ryan, Alan and Megan Neilson, Raymond Jenkins/Brad Squire, Michael and Claire Dodunski, Kelvin and Martin Pearce, Reuben and Kayne Mason, Trevor and Leighton Swan, Steve and Natasha Thomason, Ray Hill/Gary Renall and Shaughn Wicks.

As well as plenty of 4WD action, spectators enjoyed a motorbike demonstration.

Money raised at the event will be donated to the Taranaki Cancer Society.

Pictured, hundreds of visitors turned up to scale hills to watch the 4WD action on Saturday.