Exciting times as Basil Read/Bizhub Ford Rally Team heads to Osram Rally

Fresh from earning their first points of the season and setting the fastest times in a couple of stages on the recent Volkswagen Rally, Charl Wilken and Greg Godrich are relishing the challenges posed by the Osram Rally, round six of the 2010 Sasol South African Rally Championship.

The Basil Read/bizhub Ford Fiesta S2000 pair won the production car category in this event last year with a solid 4th overall, so have set this as their target for 2010.

“Our aim is another decent result and some mileage in the car”, says Wilken. “We seemed to be competitive on all the stages last year and I am getting more and more confident behind the wheel of my new Ford Fiesta”.

“The guys are presently driving with a 100% commitment and sometimes a bit more, only rally mileage will enable me to get back up to that kind of commitment levels, but for now I will be satisfied mixing it with the top 6 crews”.

The Osram Rally is a high-speed blast over eight stages of public gravel mountain passes in the Southern Drakensberg, and demands total commitment and concentration from the skilled crew. “You have to be fully committed to your navigator to be successful in the mountains”, Wilken explained. “There are many blind rises and blind corners and you have to believe in yourself, your navigator and his notes, as well as the job the technicians have done in the workshop”.

“The roads are wide and quite smooth and I am confident that we have found a good-set-up for these kind of roads. It’s a tricky event to get everything right, but it’s a great rally for competitors.

Greg Godrich says the Mountain Trial is not the scariest on the calendar “The VW event in PE was a lot worse in places than the Mountain Trial. This one is quick though. Last year we reached speeds of around 190km/h. Most of the mileage is flat out like that, and therefore concentration is all important”.

Preparation wise, Godrich will spend a bit more time preparing his route notes than usual. “There is quite a dangerous element to the Osram Rally, so I will make 110% sure I’ve got all the bases covered. The Ford Fiesta handles well and we can brake later than we did in the production car so I’m excited about doing it in the Ford Fiesta”.

“It will be great to give the Basil Read/bizhub Ford team another good result”, Godrich concluded.
– Credit: Wilken Communication Management.