Only 10 seconds separated three Toyota Hilux crews at the end of a highly competitive Donaldson Prologue today to determine grid positions for the Atlas Copco Sugarbelt 400, round three of the Absa Off Road Championship, here tomorrow.
Adenco 400 winners Chris Visser and Japie Badenhorst, in the RFS/Visser Transport Toyota Hilux, pipped Team Castrol Toyota factory crew Anthony Taylor and Robin Houghton by a single second after 100 kilometres of tight racing. For their part Taylor/Houghton were only nine seconds ahead of team-mates Duncan Vos, the reigning South African driver’s champion, and Rob Howie.
All three crews reported clean runs on what is traditionally one of the toughest events of the season. A wide variety of terrain gradually wears down crews and machinery with the race invariably producing a high rate of attrition.
“Conditions were typical Sugarbelt 400,” said Taylor. “It is easy to make mistakes and this is one event where you need to keep to the track.
“Stray off the track and there are a number of pitfalls.”
Chasing after the three Toyota crews were off road legend Alfie Cox and German co-driver Jurgen Schroder in the PS Laser Nissan Navara, which was built for last year’s Dakar Rally. Cox lives just down the road from Eston and is making his first appearance of the season.
Rounding out the top five were former South African champions Neil Woolridge and Kenny Skjoldhammer in the Ford Racing Ranger TDCi. Woolridge lives in nearby Pietermaritzburg with the Ford crew making history last time out when they won the Toyota Dealer 400 in Mpumalanga.
It was the first time a diesel powered vehicle had won an Absa Off Road Championship event. The Ford is joined on this event by a diesel RFS BMW, which is being given its national debut by Chris du Plooy and Thinus Janse van Rensburg.
The top eight were rounded out by Gary Bertholdt and Andre Vermeulen, in the Atlas Copco Toyota Hilux, and the Red Star Raceway Toyota Hilux in the hands of husband and wife team Ramon and Maret Bezuidenhout. Bertholdt and Vermeulen drew the number one position on the road, but were hampered by a faulty odometer.
It was also not a happy afternoon for championship leaders Hannes Grobler and Hennie ter Stege in the RFS Toyota Hilux. They will start around 12 minutes behind the leaders after losing time via a flat wheel.
“We bent the rim and could not get the wheel off,” said the veteran Grobler. “It was frustrating but on this event anything can happen and we will be looking at picking up valuable championship points.”
It was also not the best of days for Thomas Rundle and former SA champion Juan Mohr in the Barden Tyre Services Nissan Navara. They ran into a string of electrical problems and limped home nearly 50 minutes behind the leaders.
Further down the field Pikkie Labuschagne and Rikus Erasmus set the fastest time in Class E in the 4×4 Megaworld Toyota Hilux. The pair lost the Class E title race by a single point last year, and this is only their second outing of the season while reigning champions Dewald van Breda and Johann du Toit (Northam Toyota Hilux) set the fastest time in Class D.
The race starts at the Beaumont Eston Farmer’s Club at 08h00 tomorrow. The designated service point (DSP) and finish are also at the club.
The race is spectator friendly with a number of viewing points within easy distance of the start/finish. Public entry to the start/finish, the DSP and spectator viewing points is free of charge.
– Credit: www.saoffroadracing.co.za