What would one call a “dominant” performance in a rally? A leader charging off into the sunset is one such way, another would be when a team romps home with a one-two result and yet another could be when a rally car, in the hands of drivers of different driving styles and approaches, claim a number of stage wins. In fact, ten out of a possible 14.
The Ford Fiesta S2000 landed on South African shores last year for this very same event, claimed its first win here with Conrad Rautenbach (G-Fuel Ford Fiesta S2000) on his first outing in the car in 2010 at Caledon, Western Cape and he has brought more silverware to the Blue Oval with a win in the KwaZulu-Natal rally this past weekend. Rautenbach also claimed the inaugural Privateers Championship in 2010 after a string of strong results last season.
Mark Cronje/Robin Houghton (Sasol Rally Team Ford Fiesta S2000) set the cat among the pigeons in their first national event as a pairing, in a new car and in an all-new team this weekend. Dominating Day One, they set five scratch times to give their new sponsors and new team much to smile about. Team-mates Jon Williams and Cobus Vrey also proved to be on pace with the front runners despite being out of a rlaly car for over 18 months. Williams last competed in the Production Car World Rally Championship (PWRC) in 2009 after winning the Pirelli Star Driver Africa contest. This youngster from Cape Town wowed team bosses and manufacturers alike while competing on the selected rounds of the World Rally Championship in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, and worked on putting together a competitive package for 2011 in South Africa. Suffering a number of teething problems in his brand new Ford Fiesta S2000, Wiilliams’ result was not as he would have wished it, but outstanding under the circumstances HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS believes.
The Ford flag flew proudly on Day Two when Conrad Rautenbach/Nicolas Klinger (G-Fuel Ford Fiesta S2000) took charge of the event (full event report appears in our Parc Ferme section) to post three fastest stage times on his way to the overall victory.
After being hamstrung by a few minor problems on the last two gravel stages of Day One, Charl Wilken/Greg Godrich (Basil Read/Bizhub Ford Fiesta S2000) took up the challenge on Day Two to work themselves up the leader board despite a five-minute time penalty incurred on Day One. This crew set the fastest stage time on the dramatic SS11 (21km) speed test to hadn Ford its tenth stage win in 2011.
Not forgetting the lower formulae, Ashley Haigh-Smith/Hilton Auffray (Ford Fiesta S1600) finished first in Class on their maiden national outing in this new challenger also built by M-Sport in the U.K. The Fiesta S1600, a two-wheel drive 1600cc charger, was also the fastest two-wheel drive car to finish this event, challenging and beating the quicker and more powerful Class A7 (two-wheel drive, 2000cc engined) cars.
It is a welcome return to the sport and it will produce spectacular rallying in seasons to come.