Rally enthusiasts were treated to a spectacular exhibition of driving skill this weekend. Gravel speed tests in and around Brakpan and Bapsfontein, Gauteng, played host to Round Four of the South African Rally Championship. The Toyota Dealer Gauteng Rally, comprising 14 special stages and nearly 160 competitive kilometres, tested the mettle of both crews and machinery.
Mark Cronje and Robin Houghton (Team SASOL Ford Fiesta S2000) powered to their first victory of the season with a winning margin of 01min 30.3sec over their rivals. Charl Wilken/Greg Godrich (Basil Read/bizhub Ford Fiesta S2000) finished second overall with Enzo Kuun/Guy Hodgson (BP Volkswagen Polo Vivo S2000) completing the podium on Saturday evening. Overall results for this event were provisional on Saturday night as rally stewards, organisers and representatives were locked in meetings to hear protests and appeals regarding the event’s results. The outcome of the event is, however, not in doubt and Cronje/Houghton will have a number of weeks to savour this victory before preparations for the following event on the calendar in mid-July.
The demanding nature of the rally saw Team Total, South Africa’s largest privateer outfit, leave the event with a mixed bag of results. Mohammed Moosa and Grant Martin (Team Total Toyota RunX S2000) brought their battle-weary machine across to the finish 12th overall, after a hard-fought weekend’s rallying. This pairing gained in speed and confidence throughout the event, posting increasingly faster stage times. In fact, Moosa and Martin set top five stages times over the closing two stages of the event.
Class S2000 compatriots Jean –Pierre Damseaux and Carolyn Swan, who ended Day One in 12th position, jumped to tenth overall in the second day’s opening stage. Building on this pace, Damseaux/Swan gained on their rivals but saw their rally end after stage ten. Damseaux was forced to retire the Team Total Toyota RunX S2000 after suffering gearbox problems that left the car stranded.
The all-female Team Total crew of Stefanie Hugo/Angela Shields restarted Day Two under SA SupeRally rules after their Toyota RunX S1600 abruptly stopped in stage four on Day One. Attacking on Saturday’s opening stage, Hugo/Shields immediately gained on their Class S1600 rivals and bravely brought their car to the finish after setting a string of impressively quick stage times. Their fellow competitors were once more shown the podium potential of this duo.
Without a doubt, the Mr Consistency title at this event goes to Craig Trott (Team Total Toyota RunX S1600). Co-driven by Robbie Coetzee, the pairing took to Day One’s stages with caution and followed up his consistent yet assert driving with stage times that were impressive. Trott/Coetzee finished fourth in Class and 17th overall.
The South African Rally Championship next heads to Port Elizabeth on 15 – 16 July for the Volkswagen Rally.