Story: Drew Sturrock
Pictures: Motorpics
The weather is always a big talking point whenever I go over to South Africa; the folk back home are amazed at how hot it is over there, the guys in South Africa are amazed at how cold it gets back home. So when I arrived in Port Elizabeth wearing a light T-shirt and jeans, the looks I got from the assembled rallying masses dressed in fleeces, scarves and wooly hats were ones of surprise and wonderment – how is this kid going to survive in these 16 degree temperatures?
It was not a case of survival, after all 16 degrees is Scottish summer time temperatures. The weather was no big issue for me; all I was concerned about was winning the rally. The 2010 Volkswagen Rally held in Port Elizabeth, was indeed won by our team, making myself and Johnny Gemmell the first crew to win two rounds of the 2010 Sasol South African National Championship at the helm of our Castrol Toyota Auris s2000, and rocket us right to the top of the leaderboard, Johnny now being tied on points with the BP Volkswagen Polo S2000 of driver Enzo Kuun.
After the nerve-rackingly close finish at the last round, the Rally of South Africa in Ermelo where we succeeded over the BP Volkswagen Polo of Jan Habig/Ralph Pitchford by a slender 0.7 secs, we were really hoping for a bit more space to breath this time, but Enzo and Guy gave us none, and our winning margin, while doubled from last time, was still only 1.5 seconds.
But this is why I love the rallying in South Africa – any one of six or seven drivers can win. All the time, you have to go max attack, or the competition will get the better of you, which leads to some of the most exciting rallying I have experienced.
The stages around Port Elizabeth in the Longmore Forest are truly stunning, fast and flowing but also very deceptive; real rally roads. The tarmac stages at Scribante and Kings Beach were also very good, especially for spectators to get up close and personal with the teams.
We knew from the start that we had to push all the way – with the Ford Fiesta S2000 of Conrad Rautenbach out for blood after his two non-finishes on the last two rounds, Enzo Kuun trying to capitalise on his championship standing, Jan Habig trying to improve on his second place finish last time out, and Hergen Fekken (BP Volkswagen Polo S2000) out to try and get his championship back on track after his two non finishes it was flat out from the time the countdown reached zero. Of course the BP Volkswagen team had a bit of extra pressure and inspiration to win what with this round being their home rally. We knew we were in for an epic battle.
Conrad took the initial advantage, blasting through some 11 seconds quicker than us in second place, followed by Jan Habig a further 3 seconds adrift. Things didn’t go Hergen Fekken’s way at all when we passed him near the end of the stage with what looked to be broken suspension.
So it was Conrad ahead, but on the second stage it all went pear shaped as he went off the road under braking and lost 10 seconds to us, leaving the margin at only 1 second, and then we moved to snatch the lead from him on stage 3 with a time that was seven seconds quicker than anyone else, giving us a cushion of about ten seconds over the rest of the field.
It was a cushion that Enzo Kuun was determined to eat away at over the remaining stages, but we held firm, determined to bring the Toyota home atop the podium in Volkswagen’s back yard.
The final stage at Kings Beach was to be the showdown between the Polo of Enzo and the Castrol Auris of ourselves, but while managing to take 3.2 seconds from us his effort was in vain, and it was the red green and white Toyota on the top step, followed by the two Polos of Enzo Kuun and Jan Habig that made up the podium.
Rallying is at its very best in South Africa, the level of competition is immense and to triumph you have to be at the top of your game from the word go until you spray the champagne at the finish. For me, I now have the Speyside Stages to contest in the North of Scotland, before shipping out once again to contest the Osram Mountain Trail, which from the stories I have heard, sounds absolutely amazing.
As always, my thanks go out to Castrol, Toyota and to Glyn Hall and his team for the support and assistance and for making it all possible. Standing on the top step of the Volkswagen podium in our Toyota overalls was an amazing feeling, and it’s a feeling that we want to repeat on the 21 August.
DREW STURROCK from Scotland co-drives for Johnny Gemmell in the Castrol Team Toyota S2000. Read his adventures exclusively in HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS.