KwaZulu-Natal crew Lance Trethewey and Carl Wichmann, in the LT Earthmovers BAT, today upstaged regular national championship crews to win the Special Vehicle category on the Donaldson Prologue for tomorrow’s Atlas Copco 400.
The race is round three of the Absa Off Road Championship and has moved from the Eston area, near Pietermaritzburg, to the Biggarsberg region which is home to some of South Africa’s most historic battlefields. Trethewey and former quad racer Wichmann were just short of 90 seconds ahead of reigning South African champions and current championship leaders Kallie and Quinton Sullwald in the Elegant Fuel BAT.
Trethewey is a vastly experienced campaigner, but during the race he and Wichmann will face a stern challenge from seasoned national championship campaigners. There was also a surprise when Boela Botes and Johann Pretorius, in the Botes Vervoer BAT, completed the top three ahead of more fancied crews.
The Sullwald father and son team came up with a clean run, and will be looking to consolidate their position at the top of the Special Vehicle and Class A championships. The top five was completed by the second Sullwald father and son team with Hermann and Wichard Sullwald (Sullwald Racing SVR), coming in ahead of yet another father and son combination in Nick and Ryan Harper in the Motorite BAT.
“We are not looking for any heroics,” said Quintin. “The major objective is a finish in the top five, and being on the podium would be a bonus.
“It is a long season and consistency is going to be important, especially when there is a tough event like the Toyota 1000 Desert race next up.”
Another fine performance from rookie Richard Fuller, partnered with veteran Geoff Minnitt, took the Atlas Copco team into sixth place. They were the fastest of the Class P contingent where championship leaders Marius and Jolinda Fourie (PHB BAT) were the major casualties.
Another local crew, Clint Gibson and Gary Campbell (Gibson Racing SVR) were seventh fastest with another good performance coming from brothers Brett and Steve Parker in a Jimco. However, it wasn’t a happy afternoon for Mark Corbett and Rudi Balzer, in the Century Racing CR4, who were plagued by power steering problems and will be part of the mass start tomorrow.
Another fancied crew to run into problems were former champion Evan Hutchison and Danie Stassen in the 4×4 Motorite Revo. They were first car on the road and had the onerous task of acting as pathfinders, but were eventually forced to drop back when they blew a shock absorber.
Second in Class P were Swaziland crew John Thomson and Clinton McNamara, in a Zarco, who had gearbox and fuel pump problems. The Swazi crew came in ahead of Colin Matthews and Alan Smith (Century Racing CR3) who were slowed by a puncture and a bent accelerator pedal when they hit a ditch.
Local crew Marcus Taylor and Derek Keith also kept the KwaZulu-Natal flag flying when they set the fastest time in Class B in a JRE. They came in a head of the Makenete brothers, Keith and Andrew, in a Zarco.
“It was nice to finish the day without having to get out of the car,” said Keith. “It’s tough route but hopefully we will again avoid problems.”
The race starts at 08:30 at the Battlefields Lodge on the outskirts of Dundee. Public entrance to the start/finish, the designated service point and spectator points along the route is free of charge.
– Credit: www.saoffroadracing.co.za