The South African National Rally Championship was given a tremendous vote of confidence this week when fuel giant Sasol launched its new rally team in a glitzy affair in Pretoria, Gauteng.
Committed to a three-year programme, the Sasol Rally Team will be aiming for podium results straight-out-of-the-box in the season’s opening event next weekend in KwaZulu-Natal. A team of highly-skilled individuals, with an international flavour, will be involved in ensuring the success of this programme, and with young drivers Mark Cronje/Robin Houghton and Jon Williams/Cobus Vrey, this team have signalled their intent on claiming the Privateers’ Championship for 2011.
What makes their effort all the more significant is that the crews will be piloting state-of-the-art Ford Fiesta S2000s. Sasol is a leading fuels and technology company, and with the Ford Fiesta S2000 proving a winning machine in international and local events, thrown-in with win-hungry rally crews and the Sasol Rally Team will be a force to be reckoned with.
At the launch function, it was with great surprise that Markko Martin, he of the World Rally Championship fame, and Paul Tuner, a mover and shaker in the international motorsport industry and a highly respected talent in the World Rally Championship, were on hand to welcome in the new crews and team.
Sasol, Ford and its newest rally crews formed a team with the makings of success. With testing of their just-arrived machines only hours before the launch function, the crews will be testing and familiarising themselves with their new speed machines in the days leading up to the first rally next weekend.
The rest of the South African rally establishment will need to keep a close eye on these young guns once they are up to speed later in the season!
Sasol Rally Team launch
The Sasol Rally Team launch
The Sasol Rally Team was launched at a glitzy affair in Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa recently, and Handbrakes & Hairpins was invited to this introductory briefing. The team for 2011 consists of Jon Williams and Cobus Vrey in the one Ford Fiesta S2000 and will be partnered by Mark Cronje and Robin Houghton. Both crews have the pace to run at the front of the South African Rally Championship this season, and will provide the factory teams with many headaches. All photographs are copyrighted to Evan Rothman. To view the photographs, please click here: Sasol Rally Team launch