Thomas Rundle and Juan Mohr (Barden Tyre Services Racing Nissan Navara) edged closer to their first Absa Off Road Championship victory when they finished a strong second in the Production Vehicle category of the season-opening Adenco 400 in the Western Cape on Saturday.
“This was just the kind of start to the new season we were aiming for,” said a delighted Rundle. “We had a rough time last season and didn’t get the results we were capable of. This is our best result since our third place at Sun City last year in our third race together. Now we look forward to our first win.”
It was a hard-fought result in an event that featured a new and technically demanding route in the Darling area that saw just 16 of the production vehicles complete the two 155-km loops that made up the day’s race.
Rundle and Mohr got the weekend off to a good start with second place in Friday’s 68-km Donaldson prologue behind race winners Hannes Grobler and Hennie ter Stege (BMW X3). This time trial determines the start order for the race itself. “We had a clean run in the prologue and finished just 29 seconds behind Hannes,” said Rundle. “A good start position for the race is crucial if you want to finish on the podium.”
They made a great start and fought with Grobler and ter Stege for the early lead, passing the BMW at one point after a wrong slot and then dropping back to second when they made an error. Two simultaneous punctures 100 km into the first loop saw the pair drop back in the field after losing some 12 minutes, but they reached the halfway compulsory service stop in fourth place.
“We hit a rocky ridge in the road and flattened both right side tyres,” reported co-driver Mohr. “Changing the wheels took longer than it should have thanks to the car falling off the jack a couple of times and then the nut runner went flat.”
They had no further problems in the second half of the race and a fine driving performance by Rundle and faultless navigating by Mohr, a former champion co-driver, saw them cross the finish line at the Darling Club 4 min 25 sec behind the Grobler/ter Stege BMW and a comfortable 8 min 26 sec ahead of the Toyota Hilux of Jannie Visser and Joks le Roux after nearly five-and-three-quarter hours of racing over the two days.
The next round of the championship is the Toyota Dealer 400 in Mpumalanga on April 8 and 9.
While Barden Tyre Services is the principal sponsor, the team also enjoys a mutually beneficial relationship with other partners and suppliers like Dunlop tyres, Autozone, Hausberger and Associates, Maxwell Design and Advertising, Willard batteries, Cedar Chem and Hi Tech Mag Repairs.
– Credit: Peter Burroughes Communications.