It is time for rally action with the running of the 2010 Osram Rally around Barkly East. This event, which takes place on Saturday, 21 August, will see the BP Volkswagen rally team out to follow up on the double-punch they delivered to their competition.
The team claimed a second and third place finish overall at their home event, the Volkswagen Rally, in July. The result produces an interesting dynamic on the national standings for the 2010 season.
Enzo Kuun and Guy Hodgson are now joint leaders in the championship in their BP Volkswagen S2000 Polo. They share the lead with the Castrol Toyota duo of Johnny Gemmell and Drew Sturrock.
After the joint leaders is the Jan Habig / Ralph Pitchford combination – also in a BP Volkswagen S2000 Polo. The pair are just 16 points back, within very reasonable striking distance for Habig should he find a chance to capitalise on whatever opportunities present themselves during the Osram event.
Habig will be joined at the Osram event by his navigator of many years, Douglas Judd. Pitchford has been called to duty in the international off-road scene and will therefore miss two of the 2010 Sasol National Championship events. The first of these is the Osram.
With Habig and Judd back together and the lead so tantalisingly close, it could prove a very tough event indeed for their competition.
The defending national rally champions, Hergen Fekken and Pierre Arries, are languishing in eighth place at this point. After an excellent start to the season the pair have suffered three consecutive DNF (did not finish) results which has badly hurt their chances at claiming another title.
This does not, however, remotely suggest their presence at the Osram event should be ignored. Quite the opposite is the case. With their run of bad luck the duo are focussed on turning the tables and getting their championship season back on track. There are three events left on the 2010 calendar, including the Osram and with 25 points per rally victory, three wins would certainly eliminate their 44 point deficit.
Not an easy task to contemplate when every other competitor is looking at rally victories in the same way, but Fekken and Arries are nothing if not ambitious in their rally commitment.
Gugu Zulu and Cindi Harding are the leading team in the A7 class with their BP Volkswagen Polo. The VW Rally was not kind to them, eliminating them from the running early on. The Osram event will be an opportunity to return to form so they can continue their efforts at claiming the class title this season.
The Zulu / Harding duo certainly seems to have clicked, producing results from the outset. The pair will be keen to overcome their VW Rally setback and continue their charge to the finish line.
In the A5 class, André Cleenwerck and Kesevan Naidoo will want to forget their VW Rally. The event saw them involved in a big crash that brought the career of their A5 BP Volkswagen Citi Golf to an end. It will be replaced by a new rally car for the September event, but they will have to sit out the Osram Rally while the new car is prepared.
This will not sit well with the pair who want to reclaim their lead in this class. They will be left to chase the leading entry of Ashley Haigh-Smith and Hilton Auffray with just two events left on the calendar. This is going to make their lives very interesting in the closing stages of the 2010 championship, but they are not shy of a challenge.
The Osram Rally is an opportunity for the BP Volkswagen rally team to once again stamp their authority on national rallying in South Africa. With a one-day blast through the stages the action is going to be quick and challenging.
– Credit: Volkswagen of South Africa.