The BP Volkswagen rally team made the CPMCC Rally in the Western Cape their best outing of the 2010 season. The trio of BP Volkswagen S2000 Polo rally cars flew home to a one, two, three finish – ensuring that navigator Guy Hodgson claimed his second national navigators’ championship title in the process.
Hodgson navigates for Enzo Kuun and the pair raced home to claim the Western Cape rally victory on Saturday at Killarney – but instead of winning their respective championships together, Kuun will have to challenge one more event before he can aspire to lift the crown of 2010 national rally champion.
“This is my second championship victory,” said a clearly excited Hodgson. “I’ve finished second lots of times, but this is only the second time I’ve ever won it!”
Hodgson’s first title was also as a navigator to Kuun – and also while in the navigator’s seat of the BP Volkswagen S2000 Polo.
“We pushed hard at some stages,” said Kuun of what appeared to be an inch-perfect performance that saw their BP Volkswagen Polo cross the finish line 40 seconds in the lead after nine stages – of which the pair won four stages. “We worked hard to get to the finish, because some days are fast – and then there are days like today – which are really fast.
“We had a few scares out on the stages, there’s a lot to play for and we made some work for our rally crew. I’m not frustrated that I have to wait for the next rally to try and claim the title – you have to work for things, you can’t get them for free.”
For Jan Habig and long-time navigator Douglas Judd, second place across the finish line was their reward for a tough event. The Western Cape event was the second rally this year that Judd stood in for Ralph Pitchford who took over from Judd this season. Commitments to the international Volkswagen Dakar team saw Pitchford in Russia competing in the Silk Way Rally and unable to take part in the South African national rally championship.
“It was a difficult event for us,” said Habig. “We rallied hard, but just couldn’t seem to find the pace to get ahead of the field. We got to the end – and we finished well. That’s the important bit after all.”
For third-placed Hergen Fekken and Pierre Arries, defending champions in the 2010 season, the event also lacked the magic combination and they managed to win only one of the nine stages.
“It was a hard, but good, event,” said Fekken. “It felt good out there, but the times were just not what we expected at the end of every stage.”
While not able to get the times they expected – and the accompanying result – Fekken and Arries crossed the line for third place just six seconds behind their teammates Habig and Judd.
Not content with a national title and all three podium positions, the Volkswagen Polo Vivo also claimed the class A5 victory on its debut event. This victory was achieved by Morné Janse van Rensburg and navigator Derek Jacobs in the Vivosport-prepared GC Diesel Volkswagen Polo Vivo.
“The car is great, when you find yourself in trouble it is just a quick down-change and apply the power – it just pulls you out,” said an enthusiastic Janse Van Rensburg. “We had a little trouble with sixth and broke a wheel rim in a massive pothole, but just drove to the end of that stage.”
With an A5 victory in the CPMCC rally Janse van Rensburg and Jacobs have now also moved from third in this class to second place in the A5 championship.
For Gugu Zulu and Cindi Harding in the A7 class, their BP Volkswagen Polo retired in the third stage of the event. Suffering a leaking engine seal and an engine fire, the duo were forced to retire having completed just two stages – a frustrating situation for the A7 class leaders.
With the A5 team of André Cleenwerck and Kesevan Naidoo still not back in competition after their accident on the Volkswagen Rally, the BP Volkswagen team were down on strength in the Western Cape. While they suffered only very minor injuries in that accident, their rally car was rather the worse for wear and they are still awaiting full medical clearance – as a precaution – before being allowed back on the rally circuit.
With just one event left, the BP Volkswagen rally team are firmly focussed on the final performance for 2010 – claiming the national rally championship title in Gauteng to top off their run of successes that has seen them win every rally title since 2005.
– Credit: Volkswagen of South Africa.