The RFS Magalies 400 off road race, the final event in the eight race 2010 ABSA South African Off Road Championship, is set to provide the backdrop for a thrilling end to the championship.
While the Hilux SP pair Chris Visser and Japie Badenhorst secured the Drivers’ and Co-drivers’ championships in the Production Vehicle Category by winning the Human Auto 400 in Bloemfontein, the situation for the runner up position in the championship remains fluid with Castrol Team Toyota’s Duncan Vos and Rob Howie just 11 points adrift of Hannes Grobler and Hennie ter Stege with a maximum of 25 points up for grabs.
To add a twist to the tail in this final event of the year an anomaly in the points allocation in the class championships in the ABSA series means that Visser and Badenhorst can still be challenged for the Special Production class championship. They need to fight off a challenge from Grobler to achieve the Series and Class Championship double.
“Chris and Japie have had a really good year flying the Toyota flag in their privately entered Hilux SP to win three of the eight events and the Production Vehicle Championship,” says Glyn Hall, Team Principal of Castrol Team Toyota. “After the disappointment of no points for Duncan and Robbie in Bloemfontein our task is to go all out to end the season on a high note in the RFS Magalies 400 and secure the runner up position in the series for Toyota with Duncan and Robbie ahead of Hannes Grobler.
“Last year this event proved a thriller and it was well suited to the Hilux. We have moved ahead with development since then and will be looking for a repeat performance at the front of the field. In recent events the Castrol Team Toyota Hilux SPs have demonstrated a performance edge that we need to carry through to the end of the season finale.”
Behind the fight for the runner up position in the championship there are three competitors within just six points of each other challenging for fourth place in the series and a further two capable of causing an upset in this fight, given the unpredictable nature of the sport of off road racing.
In Class D of the Production Vehicle Category Deon Venter and Ian Palmer have a nine point lead in their 4X4 Megaworld Hilux ahead of Dewald van Breda and Johan du Toit in their similar Northam Toyota Hilux.
Class E is also closely contested with Pikkie Labuschagne and Rickus Erasmus (4X4 Megaworld Hilux) trailing Lance Woolridge and Ward Huxtable by nine points.
“The Magalies 400 provides an excellent finale to the series with good access to spectator points and to the central service point at Tarlton International Raceway,” says Hall. “This is a home event for us and we aim to end the season on a high note for Castrol Team Toyota and our partners Imperial, and the Innovation Group.”
– Credit: Toyota of South Africa.