Perfect weather and track conditions greeted the 73 entered teams at the Teagle Excavations ARB Pines Enduro 400 for today’s running of the Hards Transport Prologue, South Eastern Times Top 10 Shoot Out and the Coates Hire Dash for Cash.

If it was ever in doubt, Shannon and Ian Rentsch #1 firmly stated their intentions today, topping the prologue time sheets in 3m54.388seconds, 3 seconds ahead of Jack Rhodes and David Pullino #91.

Rentsch, who holds a trifecta of Pines victories from 2007-2009, then knocked 5.4seconds off his qualifying time in the South Eastern Times Top 10 Shoot Out, to score pole position for Sunday’s race start.

Matt Hanson and Leigh Wells moved the #7 SMU Racing Jimco from fifth to second place after the Shoot Out to make it a Rentsch-Hanson start line for Sunday’s 8:30 race start. Jack Rhodes and David Pullino #91 were pushed back to third place after the South Eastern Times Top 10 Shoot Out; starting with Carly Haby and Rowen Eggers #56 for the ‘two at a time’ race start.

Chris Western #62 made his trip from Queensland worthwhile, clocking in the fifth fastest South Eastern Times Top 10 Shoot Out time ahead of Mark Burrows #21 in sixth place. Matt Owen #41 slotted into seventh ahead of Dale Martin #133 in eighth.

Andy Brown and Mark Sedran #45 were sitting in sixth after their prologue run, however gearbox dramas saw them miss the shoot out and therefore relegated to tenth place. This sits them alongside son Danny Brown and George Apted #42 for the race start, and with Brown family honours at stake, who will win the sprint from the start line out into the Tantanoola Forest.

The failure rate was unusually high today with 7 teams not completing the prologue. Aaron Haby #57 had an electrical gremlin which they have rectified and are ready to race tomorrow. Travis Milburn #75 had issues with fluid leaking from his new machine, Geoff Roe #409 had a misfire which has also been fixed and ready to take on the 400kms of racing, Mick Fraser #166 reportedly ran out of fuel, Bodie Tickner #233 is fixing a broken drive flange and hopes to be on the start line, Owen Ward #832 decimated his tail shaft on the start line, but has applied to be seeded into the start order.

John Michelson #537 didn’t start the prologue due to front suspension issues and will not greet the start lights tomorrow. Gavin Chant #26 rolled in the prologue, were righted by recovery, going on to cross the prologue finish line.

The Coates Hire Dash for Cash was a great spectacle; unfortunately for James Lochert #171 he miscalculated an inner arena corner and rolled in front of the massive crowd present. The team are attempting to fix the Rids Race Frame Joker #171 machine, hoping to greet the start lights come 8:30am Sunday morning.

Hards Transport Prologue, South Eastern Times Top 10 Shoot Out and the Coates Hire Dash for Cash results can be found here.