The Automark Dealers Rally - Preview
author: Patrick Vermaak
If entering this event is anything to go by the fourth round of the WP rally championship will undoubtedly be quite tough. No information on any of the regular websites and even less through the normal grapevine. Thanks to Nigel Dodgen and the Automark Dealers this traditional Swartland rally is set to take place on Saturday 30 July 2005 and given current weather conditions it’s bound to be a wet one.
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Fernando Rueda - Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII
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Starting at the Rollbar, Killarney, at 09h30 the current 25-team entry will contest eight special stages before finishing back at the Rollbar at 16h45, with the prize giving at the same venue. Fernando Rueda will once again share his Sasol (No 65) Gp N4 CPMCC Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8 with Duncan English whilst the latter’s seat in the Arc-en-Ciel (No 75) Gp N4 CPMCC Mistubishi Evo 6 of Paul Pfeiffer will be filled by Carl Peskin. Fernando Rueda won the recent Speedy Dealers Klipdale whilst Paul Pfeiffer managed to drown his Evo 6 in stage one. Expect these brothers-in-law to really benefit in muddy conditions.
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JP Damseaux and Cobus Vrey - may find it hard to stay with the 4x4's in muddy conditions.
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Jean-Pierre Damseaux and Cobus Vrey might have had a chance in Klipdale, but need a little luck on their side to trump the 4x4’s in their extremely capable Team Total (No 10) class A7 SWMC Toyota Corolla RXi 2.0 20v. This must be the most glorious sounding rally car currently in SA when driven in anger. Do not expect JP to hold back as he was handed a national class win in PE by persevering and the rally is only over when the final result has been signed!
Also fresh from a well deserved maiden Gp N3 national victory, expect Jon and Douglas Williams to built on this fine performance in the well prepared Gijima Ast (No 83) SWMC Toyota Run X RSi. With the handling sorted Douglas might risk an occasional smile from the suicide seat while Jon’s grin simply gets bigger with every outing. Having survived the attentions of Rodney Visagie, Chris de Wit and Claudio Piazza-Musso for two long days the father and son combination limped home with a differential that would not have lasted another stage in PE.
Resident magician, Mike “Harry” Nathan, still required the services of a navigator at the number draw but given the pace of the CVT (No 95) Gp N2 CPMCC Toyota Corolla RXi 1600 he should not find it too hard to fill the seat. With two national class wins under his belt Mike is enjoying his best season ever in the sport and never shows a hint of nervous tension. Ettiene du Toit and Patrick Vermaak gained much, despite the disappointing result, in PE and the McCarthy N1 City team are really looking forward to this event in the silver and blue (No 93) Gp N2 Toyota Corolla RXi 1600.
Jean du Plessis and JC Barnard was most unfortunate not to finish fourth overall on the Speedy Dealers Rally where the fast route suited the All Parts (No 402) class S4 WBMK BMW 325i. The popular Swartland combination knows the area very well and could still provide a big surprise in their home event. Unfortunately the heavy BMW will suffer should it be extremely wet on the day. Charl Strydom and Sakkie Bosman are set to be the first team to run a 20v 1600 Golf in A6, but at this stage they will do battle in their regular Sabre Paints (No 46) CPMCC VW Golf CSL 1600. The wetter the better as this well prepared car is more than capable on slippery roads.
The real dark horses in this event will be another Swartland combination consisting of Jacques Brits and Johan la Grange in their Lize Signs (No 406) class S3 CPMCC Toyota Conquest RSi 1600. No longer limited to the rigid regulations applied to Gp N2 they have been gradually upping the performance of their car and on home soil they could just be the surprise entry of the event. Kobus Edas also hails from Malmesbury and shares his ex-Paul Pfeiffer (No 52) class A6 CCMCC Toyota Corolla RXi 1600 with Derek Jacobs. They have seen a few rally kilometers between them but are still finding their way in the much quicker A6 Corolla.
Peter Heyer-Cleave and Brendon Schultz share the (No 410) class S5 CPMCC Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3 and though this car is running in the much heavier Safari spec it could also benefit from slippery conditions. Now neatly sprayed the car certainly looks the part. Eugene Marais and Paul van Greunen enjoyed their first finish on the recent Speedy event and will now be looking for some pace to go with the consistency in their neat Fetch & Carry (No 409) class S3 WBMK VW Golf MkII GTi 1800.
Impressive newcomers, Wynand Theron and Tobie Basson, enjoyed a n encouraging debut event at Klipdale and despite not finishing showed that they might just get the hang of this sport. The Berto Mostert prepared Supa Quick Stellenbosch (No 426) class S3 WBMK VW Polo Playa 1800 will sport a new look and slightly older team manager on the day. Berto finding managing far more nerve racking than actually driving. Expect another solid performance from the friendly engineering students.
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Leon Esterhuyse and Marco Hamilton -Augustyn’s Spring Works (No 425) class S4 WBMK Opel Kadett GSi 2.0.
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John Peiser and Brian Hoskins are in need of a solid confidence boosting result in the Dave Köpke prepared Speed Pro Cycling Components (No 72) Gp N4 CPMCC Subaru Impreza GT and this could just be their event to do so. Thenswille Overmeyer and Wesley van Heerden have also not had a good season to date and they will be determined to change all of that in the Melvin’s Transport (No 405) class S3 CCMCC Toyota Conquest RSi 1600. Leon Esterhuyse and Marco Hamilton suffered a broken differential in Klipdale and are also seeking their first good result for the year in the very quick but somewhat fragile Augustyn’s Spring Works (No 425) class S4 WBMK Opel Kadett GSi 2.0.
Inus du Plessis and Jaén Fouché won class S4 in Klipdale with their recently completed two door (No 422) BMW 325i, due to the unfortunate incident that eliminated Jean and JC, but expect the two brothers to go head to head on home territory. Both grew up in the Swartland and are quite capable behind the wheel of any rear wheel driven vehicle, expect a hard but fair fight between the BMW’s. The neat (No 418) S2 CCMCC VW Golf MkI 1600 of André George and Hilton Auffray should once again prove consistent. They rolled heavily at the end of the 2004 season and will take a few events to regain the confidence in the new car.
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Inus du Plessis and Jaén Fouché S4 BMW
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Not only are Nigel Dodgen the leading figure in the Automark association with this event, the last rally car that he owned will actually also participate in this event with Rupert van Zyl and Marius Rudolph giving their best in the proven (No 407) class S3 CPMCC VW Golf MkI GTi 1800. Neels van Wyk will have a new navigator in G du Toit and has the ability to surprise when he is in the mood with the (No 416) class S3 SWMC VW Golf MkII GTi 1800. Nishaad Murudker and Adrienne Swart share the Silverstone Tyres / Murway Motors (No 408) class S3 CCMCC Toyota Conquest RSi 1700. returning after a nasty off on the Augustyn’s Spring Works Rally will be Kesevan Naidoo and Athol Davids in their rebuilt (No 417) class S2 CCMCC Toyota Conquest 1300.
Harry Giliomee and Fritz Blom had a disastrous outing in Klipdale and need a good result in their entertaining (No 414) class S2 WBMK Toyota Corolla 1600 rwd. Lance Slabbert returns to the sport behind the wheel of the (No 141) Gp N1 CPMCC VW Golf 1300 formerly campaigned by John Peiser and he will have Ria Marais as navigator. (Wife of Eugene Marais and sister of well known midget racer Corrie de Ronde).
The final car on the entry list will certainly have many fans by the end of the event as works Toyota off road racer, Mark Cronjé, is set to make his rallying debut in the Western Cape with the dominant A6 Toyota Corolla RXi 1600 formerly campaigned by Damseaux Snr.
An event not to miss!
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