Rallying is a sport popular for its unpredictable character. Leader boards have changed dramatically within one kilometre of competition in previous events thus far this season, and the sport’s proven that rallies are not won on the first day but can most certainly be lost.
Reaching the midpoint of the 2011 South African Rally Championship, this the fourth round of the series takes in the Toyota Dealer Gauteng Rally this weekend in the Brakpan and Bapsfontein areas. Twelve stages await Team Total’s four-car squad on 10 and 11 June. Day One’s five stages will be new to all competitors and the demanding six stages around Brakpan and Bapsfontein on Day Two, topped with the crowd-pleasing super special stage at the RallyStar Motorsport Academy, this rally is sure to be as exciting as the season’s three previous rallies.
Team Total’s two premier Class S2000 crews of Jean-Pierre Damseaux/Carolyn Swan and Mohammed Moosa/Grant Martin will be looking to capitalise on their recent pace after a series of hard luck results. Damseaux and Swan will be targeting a podium result at the event, and with their ever-increasing confidence in their Toyota RunX S2000 they will indeed be a threat to their factory-supported rivals. Moosa/Martin will be pushing their similar rally car to its limits in their bid to score as many points as possible for Team Total and to claim that elusive podium result.
The Class S1600 veterans Craig Trott and Robbie Coetzee (Toyota RunX S1600) are one of two crews proudly flying the Team Total colours in this hotly contested Class. The all-female crew of Stefanie Hugo and Angela Shields (Toyota RunX S1600) are looking to make their mark in this Class after suffering a string of mechanical woes that have blighted their overall performance thus far this season.
Expectations of this event from the Team Total drivers are of a high-speed event that will demand commitment, aggression and bravery, three characteristics that Team Total has in abundance. The event’s 12 stages will offer unique challenges to its competitors, with Damseaux, Moosa, Trott and Hugo looking forward to tackling the gravel roads to record success for Team Total.
Carnival City hosts not only the ceremonial start at noon on Friday 10 June but also the first stage in its grounds. This is then followed on by three more gravel stages in the Brakpan area, with the Service Park and Rally Headquarters stationed at the Carnival Toyota dealership in Brakpan. Rally enthusiasts are invited to see these rally cars up close, to watch how the technicians prepare the cars for the next speed tests and meet their favourite Team Total crews. Rounding out Day One’s action is a tight tar stage at night in Brakpan, and it is sure to be a crowd favourite.
The rally action kicks off with Day Two at 08h00 on Saturday morning with a loop of three stages to be repeated after a lunchtime service before competitors tackle one last super special stage at the RallyStar complex outside Bapsfontein. This spectator-friendly venue also sees the podium ceremony take place on Saturday evening.