The team representing New Zealand at the annual Isuzu Trucks I-1 Grand Prix world technical competition in Japan have returned home after missing out on a podium finish, although one Kiwi technician placed third in the individual round.
A total of 35 teams with 70 competitors were pitted against each other in what is regarded as the “technical Olympics” of the Isuzu Truck world.
Usual event powerhouses, USA and Japan, also missed out on the medals – providing an indication of the strength and all round calibre of the competition. The event saw Indonesia claim first place, Thailand second and Peru third.
The Kiwi team was coached by Ian Sparks of Isuzu Trucks New Zealand and consisted of two technicians from CablePrice, Ross Green and Liam Sanford, with Ross achieving third place in the individual technician competition.
Last year’s Isuzu Trucks New Zealand team achieved its best-ever result at the event, finishing third place overall.
“Teams representing Isuzu New Zealand have always punched above their weight and 2024 was no exception,” Isuzu Trucks NZ general manager Dave Ballantyne says.
“It’s an incredibly tough competition and it speaks volumes about our local network that we perform at a consistently high level year after year.
“This was the second successive year that one of our team members placed in the top three, following a similar result in 2023.
“We run extensive training programmes for dealer staff in New Zealand and the end result is that we have some exceptionally skilled technicians in the network who provide amazing support to our customers.”
CablePrice managing director Aidan Mahony was excited to see two technicians from his dealership representing New Zealand at the competition.
“The team at CablePrice are extremely proud of the achievements of both Ross and Liam. They were the top technicians selected for New Zealand this year and got to showcase their skills against the best in the world,” Mahony says.
“Ross taking out third place is amazing and well deserved. CablePrice and our customers are extremely lucky to have both Liam and Ross servicing their Isuzu Trucks.”
