The S2000 Ford Fiesta driver from Zimbabwe, Conrad Rautenbach, has got his confidence back and is on a charge on the second day of the VW Rally being held in Port Elizabeth. A flying Rautenbach also won stage 8, the second stage of the day and has climbed to 2nd overall on the leader board after starting the day in 6th place. Two more of the top runners were struck by bad luck this morning. Hein Lategan in a S2000 Toyota Auris apparently broke the car's suspension and was stuck in stage 8. He was lying 4th overall when this happened.
The S2000 Castrol Toyota Auris driver, Mark Cronje suffered a puncture in the stage and lost a lot of time driving to the end of the stage destroying the rim of the left front wheel in the process. Rautenbach could have taken the lead on the stage but he was stuck for some 15 second behind Cronje before he could get past.
After stage 8 Johnny Gemmell/Drew Sturrock, Class S2000 Toyota Auris, was still clinging to their slender lead. They were leading Rautenbach by 7.2 seconds. Third was Enzo Kuun in a BP VW S2000 Polo 8.5 seconds behind Rautenbach, followed by the other BP VW Polo of Jannie Habig 20.1 seconds later.
Charl Wilken in die second Basil Read Bizhub Ford Fiesta, was 5th 3:27.7 seconds behind Habig, with Visser du Plessis in a S2000 Toyota Auris 6th 3:28 seconds off Wilken's pace.
The rally has three stages left before the finish at Kings Beach in Port Elizabeth this afternoon.
Home
RALLYSTAR ARTICLES