NEW RECORD OF 10 CONSECUTIVE VICTORIES FOR NISSAN MOTORSPORT
author: Nissan Motorsport Release
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Hannes Grobler and Richard Leeke winners of the 2003 Toyota 1000 Desert event
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Nissan Motorsport did the near impossible by yet again winning the Toyota 1000 Desert Race, third round of the 2003 South African National Off-Road Championship held in Botswana today and yesterday (Saturday and Sunday June 14 & 15).
Not only did Nissan Motorsport win the event a second time, but the team managed to rewrite the record books for its tenth consecutive National Off-Road Championship victory.
Hannes Grobler and Richard Leeke also set up a new record of no less than six consecutive wins – and are still unbeaten since the Caledon 400 in September last year in their Proudly South African Nissan Hardbody.
The performance of the day however went to Giniel de Villiers who, fresh after his first international rally raid victory in the Morocco Rally last weekend, against all odds finished second overall in the competitive Production Vehicle Category after a horrific accident on the second day of the Desert Race in Botswana.
De Villiers and co-driver Francois Jordaan were leading the event for the start of the second day when they hit an oncoming vehicle of a spectator on the route shortly after the start.
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Giniel de Villiers and Francois Jordaan in Super Charge mode!
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“We were still accellerating after the start with Giniel hooking top gear when a vehicle appeared on the route aiming straight for us,” said Jordaan who was not injured in the crash. “Giniel did whatever he could to stop and swerve, but hit the other vehicle head-on,” Jordaan said.
De Villiers injured his left arm and had to receive medical attention on their return to the pits.
“We managed to get back to the pits for repairs and our team did a wonderful job of getting the vehicle back on the road in just 95 minutes,” Jordaan said.
With Grobler taking over the lead from his injured team-mate, the remainder of the race went without incident for the defending Nissan champions and they stormed home with a commanding lead of more than an hour ahead of the rest of the field.
Conditions took its toll amongst top contenders such as Apie Reyneke and Robin Houghton (Toyota Land Cruiser) with a broken gearbox, and Neil Woolridge/Kenny Skjöldhammer (Ford Ranger) who battled with overheating problems, but De Villiers recovered and raced from behind to pass the whole field, claiming a well-deserved second position and completing the Desert Race for the first time.
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Apie Reynecke and Robin Houghton - Toyota Land Cruiser had to give up eventually.
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The Nissan Super Truck trio of De Villiers/Jordaan, Grobler/Leeke and Duncan Vos/Mike Griffith – all in identical Proudly South African Nissan Hardbody double-cabs – were leading the race from the start on Saturday morning until close to the end of the first day’s 500 km racing section when engine failure forced Vos/Griffith to a premature stop.
“Their car was misfiring from shortly after the start – about 100 km into the race – and we decided to stop before blowing the engine,” said Nissan Motorsport manager Glyn Hall.
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Hein Grobler and Gerhard Prinsloo once again a good showing!
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Class D privateers Hein Grobler and Gerhard Prinsloo (Gearbox Services Nissan Hardbody) did well to finish as top national contenders in the class behind local privateers Shumie van Vuuren and Carlos de Abreu who are not taking part in the national championship and raced in the Desert Race “just for fun”.
“We had a good, clean run with few problems on the way,” said Grobler. He was the only driver of the four-car GBS team to reach the finish after JP and Linda Augustin (electrical problems), MC Coetzee/Marius Liebenberg (broken steering) and Coetzee Labuschagne/Johan Gerber (overheating) – all driving identical Nissan Hardbody bakkies – had to retire after starting off as a four-car squad on the second day.
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Shumie van Vuuren and Carlos de Abreu
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Brothers Jurie and André du Plessis were also very successful in their Class E Hardbody taking second behind class winners Mark Cronjé/Chris Birkin (Castrol Toyota Hilux) with TopCar Magazine’s Deon Schoeman and stand-in navigator Jeremy Fall in the TopCar Hardbody the last of 20 finishers to claim 8th position in Class D.
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Topcar's Deon Schoeman and Jeremy Fall - Nissan Hardbody
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“I decided to take a cautious approach and ensure finishing the event, especially after my regular navigator, Jan Sime, fell ill on Friday and had to be flown home,” Schoeman said.
Two-wheel hero Alfie Cox who switched to four wheels after a damaging shoulder injury in the 2003 Dakar Rally forced him out of competitive motorcycling for 6 months, also raced without regular navigator Hennie ter Steege, but failed to complete the event after stand-in navigator William Lane became violently ill during the first racing section on Saturday.
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Leon Botha
Scott Abraham and Richard Carolin ATLAS COPCO / CHICAGO PNEUMATIC JEEP.
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Nissan won the Manufacturer’s Prize for the event thanks to the efforts of Grobler and De Villiers in the two Class T Super Trucks as well as the support from the Nissan Hardbody privateers in the other classes.
Top 10 preliminary results (Production Vehicles)
1. Hannes Grobler/Richard Leeke (Nissan Hardbody; Class T winners)
2. Giniel de Villiers/Francois Jordaan (Nissan Hardbody; 2nd Class T)
3. Mark Cronjé/Chris Birkin (Castrol Toyota; Class E winners)
4. Shumie van Vuuren/Carlos de Abreu (Land Cruiser; Class D winners)
5. Scott Abraham/Richard Carolin (Jeep Cherokee; 3rd Class T)
6. Hein Grobler/Gerhard Prinsloo (Nissan Hardbody; 2nd Class D)
7. Piet Haasbroek/Freddie Scheepers (Castrol Land Cruiser; 3rd Class D)
8. Jurie & André du Plessis (Nissan Hardbody; 2nd Class E)
9. Johan & Marthinus van der Merwe (Mitsubishi Colt; 4th Class D)
James Alexander/Julian Penstone (Land Rover Defender 110; 5th Class D)
AFRIKAANS
NUWE REKORD VAN TIEN AGTEREENVOLGENDE OORWINNINGS VIR NISSAN MOTORSPORT
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Hannes Grobler and Richard Leeke winners of the 2003 Toyota 1000 Desert event
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Nissan Motorsport het die bykans onmoontlike reggekry deur die Toyota 1000-Woestynren weer te wen. Die byeenkoms was die derde ronde van die 2003-Suid-Afrikaanse Veldrenkampioenskap en is die afgelope naweek (Saterdag en Sondag, 14 en 15 Junie) in Botswana beslis.
Nissan Motorsport het nie net die byeenkoms ’n tweede agtereenvolgende keer gewen nie, maar die span het ook die rekordboeke herskryf deur sy tiende agtereenvolgende Suid-Afrikaanse Kampioenskapsveldrenoorwinning aan te teken.
Hannes Grobler en Richard Leeke het ook ’n nuwe rekord in hul Trots Suid-Afrikaans-Nissan Hardbody opgestel deur hul sesde agtereenvolgende oorwinning aan te teken, en is steeds onoorwonne sedert die Caledon 400 in September verlede jaar.
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Manfred Schroder in action
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Die vertoning van die dag was egter dié van Giniel de Villiers wat, pas nadat hy terug is van sy eerste internasionale veldtydren-oorwinning in die Marokkaanse veldtydren verlede naweek, teen al die verwagtinge as naaswenner in die uiters mededingende afdeling vir Produksievoertuie op die tweede dag van die Woestynren in Botswana uit die stryd getree het.
De Villiers en sy navigator, Francois Jordaan, was los voor vir die begin van die tweede dag se roete toe hulle die aankomende voertuig van ’n toeskouer op die roete kort ná die wegspring getref het.
“Ons was nog besig om te versnel en Giniel het pas na sesde rat oorgeskakel toe ’n voertuig van voor af op die roete op ons afskiet,” het Jordaan gesê. Hy is nie in die botsing beseer nie. “Giniel het gedoen wat hy kon om te probeer stop en uit te swaai, maar het die ander voertuig reg van voor getref,” het Jordaan gesê.
De Villiers het sy linkerarm beseer en moes in die kuipe mediese behandeling ontvang.
“Ons kon die motor darem tot by die kuipe terugry sodat ons tegnici die nodige herstelwerk kon doen en hulle het die voertuig in net 95 minute terug op die pad gehad,” het Jordaan gesê.
Met Grobler wat die voorsprong van sy beseerde spanmaat oorgeneem het, het die res van die ren sonder voorval vir die verdedigende Nissan-kampioene verloop en het hulle met ’n groot voorsprong van meer as ’n uur voor die res van die renveld tot by die eindpunt voortgestorm.
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Piet Haasbroek & Freddie Scheepers Castrol Toyota Land Cruiser
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Die toestande het sy tol geëis onder jaers soos Apie Reyneke en Robin Houghton (Toyota Land Cruiser) wat weens ’n stukkende ratkas uitgeval het, en Neil Woolridge/Kenny Skjöldhammer (Ford Ranger) wat met oorverhittingsprobleme gespook het totdat hulle ook uitgeval het, maar De Villiers het herstel en van agter af die hele renveld verbygesteek om uiteindelik sy eerste Woestynren in ’n baie welverdiende tweede posisie te voltooi.
Die Nissan-superbakkie-drietal bestaande uit De Villiers/Jordaan, Grobler/Leeke en Duncan Vos/Mike Griffith - almal in identiese Trots Suid-Afrikaans-Nissan Hardbody-dubbelkajuite - was reg van die wegspring af los voor tot naby die einde van die eerste dag se 500 km toe enjinprobleme Vos/Griffith gedwing het om vroegtydig stil te hou.
“Hul motor het van kort ná die wegspring af - sowat 100 km van die begin af - ontstekingsprobleme opgedoen en ons het besluit om te onttrek voordat die enjin heeltemal die gees gegee het,” het Glyn Hall, Nissan Motorsport se bestuurder, gesê.
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Zane Pearce & Hennie Vosloo - Ford Ranger
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Die private Klas D-jaers Hein Grobler en Gerhard Prinsloo (Gearbox Services Nissan Hardbody) het hulle goed van hul taak gekwyt deur as die voorste nasionale kampioenskapsdeelnemers in die klas uit die stryd te tree agter die plaaslike private jaers Shumie van Vuuren en Carlos de Abreu wat nie aan die nasionale kampioenskap deelneem nie en “net vir die pret” in die Woestynren gejaag het.
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MC Coetzee Nissan Hardbody
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“Ons het ’n goeie, skoon lopie sonder veel probleme gehad,” het Grobler gesê. Hulle was die enigste van die GBS-span wat die eindpunt gehaal het nadat JP en Linda Augustin (elektriese probleme), MC Coetzee/Marius Liebenberg (stuurprobleme) en Coetzee Labuschagne/Johan Gerber (oorverhittingsprobleme) - almal in identiese Nissan Hardbody-bakkies - moes onttrek nadat hulle die tweede dag se skof saam aangedurf het.
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Kassie Coetzee & Ockie Fourie - Toyota Hilux KZ-TE
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Die Du Plessis-broers Jurie en André was ook baie suksesvol in hul Klas E-Hardbody waarmee hulle die tweede posisie agter Mark Cronjé/Chris Birkin (Castrol Toyota Hilux) ingeneem het met die TopCar-motortydskrif se Deon Schoeman en sy tussentydse navigator Jeremy Fall in die TopCar Hardbody laaste van die 20 deelnemers oor die eindstreep waardeur hulle die agtste posisie in Klas D ingeneem het.
“Ek het besluit om dinge versigtig aan te pak en seker te maak ek voltooi die byeenkoms, veral nadat my gewone navigator, Jan Sime, Vrydag siek geword het en teruggevlieg moes word,” het Schoeman gesê.
Die tweewiel-held Alfie Cox wat na vier wiele oorgeskakel het weens ’n ernstige skouerbesering in die Dakar-tydren wat hom vir ses maande uit mededingende motorfietsrenne hou, het ook sonder sy gereelde navigator, Hennie ter Steege, gejaag maar nie die byeenkoms voltooi nie nadat sy instaan-navigator, William Lane, Saterdag in die eerste renskof erg siek geword het.
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Mark Cronje & Chris Birkin in the Toyota Hilux another great performance
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Nissan het die vervaardigersprys vir die byeenkoms gewen danksy die vertoning van Grobler en De Villiers in die twee Klas T-Superbakkies asook die steun van die private Nissan Hardbody-jaers in die ander klasse.
Tussentydse Top 10-uitslae (produksievoertuie):
Hannes Grobler/Richard Leeke (Nissan Hardbody; Klas T-wenners)
Giniel de Villiers/Francois Jordaan (Nissan Hardbody; 2de Klas T)
Mark Cronjé/Chris Birkin (Castrol Toyota; Klas E-wenners)
Shumie van Vuuren/Carlos de Abreu (Land Cruiser; Klas D-wenners)
Scott Abraham/Richard Carolin (Jeep Cherokee; 3de Klas T)
Hein Grobler/Gerhard Prinsloo (Nissan Hardbody; 2de Klas D)
Piet Haasbroek/Freddie Scheepers (Castrol Land Cruiser; 3de Klas D)
Jurie en André du Plessis (Nissan Hardbody; 2de Klas E)
Johan en Marthinus van der Merwe (Mitsubishi Colt; 4de Klas D)
James Alexander/Julian Penstone (Land Rover Defender 110; 5de Klas D)
Julle het steeds geleentheid om die Drive/Wiel stalletjie by die Outdoor Advernture Expo te besoek - laaste dag vandag -Maandag 16 Junie 2003
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