Production Vehicle championship leaders Chris Visser and Japie Badenhorst suffered a setback today when they rolled out of the Donaldson Prologue, a race within a race to determine start positions for tomorrow’s Sun City 400, in the Pilanesberg.
Visser and Badenhorst (RFS/Visser Transport Toyota Hilux) lead the championship after two wins in three races this season. But after hitting a low bank today and rolling the Hilux the pair face an uphill repair battle if they are to start from the back of the field tomorrow.
“It was a slow roll but there is a fair bit of damage to the vehicle,” said Visser. “We’ll burn some midnight oil and hopefully we can salvage some points.”
The fastest time went to privateers Gary Bertholdt and Andre Vermeulen, in the Atlas Copco Toyota Hilux, who bounced back from disappointments on the Toyota Dealer 400 and the Atlas Copco Sugarbelt 400. But they were just 11 seconds ahead of the Castrol Toyota Hilux factory crew of Anthony Taylor and Robin Houghton who are hungry for an overdue win.
“We lost our GPS about 15 kilometres into the route, but Robin did a great job and we are well placed,” said Taylor. “But it is all about tomorrow and the team needs the win.”
With other crews running into a variety of problems Thomas Rundle and former South African champion Juan Mohr were third fastest in the Barden Nissan Navara. After two non-finishes in a row the Barden team also needs a good result and will start only three seconds behind the factory car.
The father and son crew of Willem and Dana Vos (Vossies Toyota Hilux) produced their best result of the season with fourth fastest. Right behind the Rustenburg crew, and separated by just two seconds are the two Regent Racing Nissan Navaras crewed by Terence Marsh/Buks Carolin and Mike Whitehouse and Mathew Carlson.
Former champions Neil Woolridge and Kenny Skjoldhammer, in the factory Ford Racing Ranger TDCi and Louw de Bruyn/Riaan Greyling (Ruwacon Racing Ford Ranger) completed the top eight.
Veteran former champion Hannes Grobler and Hennie ter Stege sneaked into the top 10 in their first outing in the new RFS BMW, while reigning driver’s champion Duncan Vos and Rob Howie, in the second factory Castrol Toyota Hilux, will start 13th. The pair lost time when they picked up a puncture and could not find a level piece of ground on which to jack up the car.
Reigning champions Dewald van Breda and Johann du Toit (Northam Toyota Hilux) set the pace in Class D. The Potchefstroom crew came in ahead of Deon Venter and Ian Palmer in their first outing in the 4×4 Megaworld Toyota Hilux.
A second 4×4 Megaworld Toyota in the hands of Pikkie Labuschagne and Rikus Erasmus led home the Class E contingent. Gerald le Roux/Willem Pretorius (Ruwacon Ford Ranger) and teenager Lance Woolridge and Ward Huxtable (Ford Racing Ranger) were second and third with all three crews having won this season.
The race starts at 8am at the Sun City complex, which is also home to race headquarters and the designated service point. Public access to the start/finish, service point and 13 spectator areas along the route is free of charge.
– Credit: www.saoffroadracing.co.za