The Basil Read/bizhub Ford Rally Team is especially excited about competing in the Volkswagen Rally, round 5 of the 2010 Sasol South African Rally Championship, which runs through the Eastern Cape over the weekend of 23 and 24 July after an eight week break to accommodate the soccer world cup.
Multiple champion driver Charl Wilken rates it as a top class event while co-driver Greg Godrich says it is his favourite event of the year. “The crowds are exceptional and the stages in the Longmore Forest bring out the best in Charl’s driving”, enthused Godrich, who studied at the University of Port Elizabeth.
The Ford Fiesta S2000 is set to thrill the thousands of Ford employees both past and present. Port Elizabeth is the spiritual home of the Ford Motor Company in South Africa, having established a manufacturing facility in the coastal city in 1924 and today, operates a world-class engine building facility for world-wide distribution.
With such a strong Ford history and presence in the Eastern Cape, the Basil Read/bizhub Ford Team hopes the fans will be waving lots of Blue Oval flags in the stages. “The roads in the Longmore Forests are big and wide, which I really enjoy, but the competition is so tough these days that any one of eight or so drivers can win on the day. I’m looking forward to the stage at the Aldo Scribante racetrack which should be interesting as we run on rally tyres this year, whatever the surface”, said Wilken.
“The technicians have stripped down and completely rebuilt the car in the break. There is a bit of work to do to enhance the set up to make the Fiesta do what I want it to but we’re getting there. It will take more time to really learn what the S2000 Fiesta is capable of and get the maximum out of its potential because it’s a very complex car”, Wilken added.
Wilken and Godrich will leave the start ramp at the Volkswagen Auto Pavilion in Uitenhage in 7th place on the road, which works in their favour. “The Friday stages will be the most slippery so we’ll have six cars sweeping the road for us without too much danger of them pulling rocks into the road as there is very little scope to cut corners, so I’m happy with that. I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel of the Fiesta”, he concluded.
Godrich’s work starts a week ahead of the rally preparing the route notes. “We view the route DVD a week before the start and we work flat out on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, refining the notes each day before we have to leave. The VW Rally is nice and compact with four repeated gravel stages, so there’s less work this time around”, said the champion co-driver.
“I’m still getting used to all the buttons and controls inside the Fiesta as I have to operate everything. Charl only presses the accelerator, brake and turns the steering wheel”, laughed Godrich.
“If all goes to plan, we want to finish strongly and if luck is on our side, a podium place would be great”, Godrich said.
The Volkswagen Rally starts on Friday at 12h30 from the VW facility in Uitenhage and heads straight to the Longmore Forest for three stages, before heading back to the coast via the PE Oval, Uitenhage freeway stage and five laps of Scribante. Friday’s first four gravel stages are repeated on Saturday, ending with the popular King’s Beach stage on Saturday afternoon.
For more information on the Basil Read/bizhub Ford Rally Team log on to www.fordrally.co.za or www.charlwilken.co.za
– Credit: Wilken Communication Management