Team Total will once again field the largest team of privateers contesting the South African Rally Championship, which starts with the Total Tour Natal in KwaZulu-Natal on March 25 and 26.
Created in 1996 as a vehicle for encouraging privateer rally drivers, Team Total is a unique privateer sponsorship programme in South African rallying that has enjoyed spectacular success and today is a major force in the national rally championship.
Announcing the team to contest this year’s championship, Total South Africa brand and communications manager Nadia Vosloo said Total remains committed to the original concept of encouraging privateers to become involved in rallying. “We have a long and distinguished history in South African rallying, dating back 54 years to 1957, when Total became involved and first sponsored the Total Rally, organised by the Pretoria Motor Club.
“Rallying remains a healthy and growing branch of motor sport and we are very happy to continue our close involvement. We wish our teams, who include the first all-woman pairing in the 15-year history of Team Total, well in this year’s competition, which we are sure will be as exciting and closely fought as it was last year.”
Jean-Pierre Damseaux, overall winner of the 2008 Swartland Rally in the Western Cape and a member of Team Total since 1997, will be again be partnered by Carolyn Swan, who joined Team Total in 1998, in the premier S2000 class in a Team Total Toyota RunX. Last year they were second overall in the privateers’ championship and this experienced pair can be expected to be one of the privateer teams to take the fight to the factory entries from Toyota and Volkswagen.
Joining Damseaux and Swan in the premier class will be Mohammed Moosa and Grant Martin in a Team Total Toyota RunX. The 2009 class A6 champions in a Team Total Toyota Auris had a fiery baptism in class S2000 last year, writing off their Toyota RunX in a spectacular crash in the season-opening Total Tour Natal. They recovered well to be among the leading privateers by the end of the season.
A two-car entry in class A6 will be led by former champion and reigning 1600 cc champion Craig Trott and co-driver Robbie Coetzee in a Team Total Toyota RunX. Consistency – he was the only driver to finish all eight rounds of last year’s championship, each time on the podium – and over 20 years’ of experience make Trott a formidable opponent and he will be looking for his sixth class championship – and first since 2008.
Team Total will also be represented in class A6 for the first time by the all-woman pairing of Stefanie Hugo and Angela Shields. They represent Total South Africa’s commitment to identifying and developing young talent in rallying and will compete in a Team Total Toyota RunX. Stefanie, who is a full-time employee of the RallyStar Motorsport Academy in Gauteng, scored two class wins and a second in last season’s championship. Angela was runner-up in last year’s RallyStar Sprint Series as co-driver to Christo Carstens.
– Credit: Total of South Africa.