Ceres Toyota / Speedy Brackenfell Rally
author: Patrick Vermaak
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New WP Regional Champion - Jon Williams
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The 2005 WP Rally Championship was only decided during the seventh and final event of the season and what an event it proved to be.
Talented young Jon Williams once again drove like an old master to clinch his first WP Drivers title behind the wheel of his Gijima ASt Gp N3 SWMC Toyota Run X RSi. Having crashed out of this very event whilst chasing the 2004 title and mechanical maladies robbing him of the SA Gp N3 title in Tzaneen this year had Jon celebrating in brilliant style as he ignored the dangers of yumping a Run X by literally flying over the popular Rocklands yump second time round.
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Paul Pfeiffer watches from a chopper of course - as Jon Williams wins the WP crown!
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Though not present on the day, Duncan English, hung on to clinch the WP navigators title.
Doug Williams scoring more points, but having to drop his worst result relegated him to second overall. Not taking anything away from Duncan, it would have been very deserving had the father and son team been able to win both titles. Consolation prize for Douglas the fact that Trident Press produced a calendar that was stunning enough to make it to the SAPPI Printer of the Year awards in Shanghai China. No less than 36 countries participated and Trident Press eventually came in second. Brilliant stuff Douglas! Imagine what they can do for an annual on local rallying?
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JP Damseaux and Cobus Vrey - Team Total Class A7
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On the day it was Jean-Pierre Damseaux and Cobus Vrey that dominated the event in a tired Team Total class A7 Toyota Corolla RXi 2.0. The spectacular Toyota sounding rough and smoking badly, but after a disappointing season the victory was just what this team needed. They are set to tackle the Total Tara in Namibia with a new engine later this year.
Pushing hard, the Williams combination had a heart stopping final stage when they punctured a front wheel, with the other one also slowly deflating. Then the jack failed, (again) and they just succeeded in getting the spare fitted. The pair
obviously relieved to make it to the end with minimal time lost.
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Jean du Plessis and Tobie Basson
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Finishing a rally for the first time as a newcomer is normally sufficient reason to celebrate, but when a podium position is thrown in as a bonus it simply does not get any better. JC Barnard unfortunately had to sit out the Ceres rally and young Tobie Basson substituted as navigator for Jean du Plessis in the class S4 WBMK BMW 325i. Though having hardly ever spoken to each other the two clicked well and the tail wagging BMW achieved a commendable third overall despite running standard front shocks. Listening to Tobie at the prizegiving the white BMW certainly left a lasting impression and Jean was very complimentary of his young navigator.
Charl Strydom and Sakkie Bosman enjoyed another steady outing in their Sabre Paints class A6 VW Golf CSL 1600 to slot into fourth overall whilst a somewhat unfortunate Kobus Edas and Derek Jacobs had to be content with fifth place in the Castrol class A6 Toyota Corolla RXi 1600.
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Sakkie Bosman and Derek Jacobs
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Kobus and Derek have adapted well to the more powerful Corolla and the tussle between these two teams have become one of the highlights on the local scene. Peter Heyer-Cleave and Brendon Schultz for once enjoyed a clean run in the class S5 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3 Turbo 4x4 and sixth overall was a solid result.
Eugene Marais and Paul van Greunen thoroughly enjoy their rallying and a competitive seventh overall was another pleasing result in the Fetch & Carry class S3 WBMK VW Golf GTi 1800.
André George and Hilton Auffray rolled their class S VW Golf MkI 1600 during the 2004 event, but this year they enjoyed a clean and consistent event to not only take eighth overall but also the class S WP title for the second consecutive year.
Returning for the first time this year was Clinton Sassman and Andy Schreuder in the Team Economic class S4 CCMCC BMW 325i and despite leaving their left rear shockabsorber behind they managed ninth overall. Nishaad Murudker and Adrienne Swart slotting into tenth with the Murway Motors / Silverstone Tyres class S3 CCMCC Toyota Conquest RSi 1700.
Lance Slabbert and Ria Marais continued to show more speed and commitment in the Fetch & Carry Gp N1 VW Golf 1400 and eleventh spot served as another good confidence building result. The final team home on this occasion was the much improved class S4 VW Jetta 2.0 of Leon Oosthuizen and Mark Pym.
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Leon Oosthuizen and Mark Pym
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Swartland combination, Inus du Plessis and Jaen Fouché, surprised even themselves by actually winning stage six overall in the red class S4 WBMK BMW 325i and earned the high jump title by popular vote after a stinker effort over the Rocklands yump during stage three.
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Inus du Plessis and Jaen Fouché in the flying Beemer
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There is a DVD to prove that you can put a 325i BMW into orbit! Unfortunately they lost nearly ten minutes on stage one when the BMW cut out for an as yet unknown reason and then a sideshaft broke on stage eight. Determined to take the fight to “big brother” in 2006 the calendar was even checked to make sure his wedding on 29 April would not clash with the rallying season. “Ouboet” upgrading to a E36 BMW for 2006 to retain an advantage.
Leon Esterhuyse and Marco Hamilton had the gearlever break off in the gearbox on stage six and unfortunately the replacement vicegrip simply could not provide the required action to continue in the Augustyn’s Springworks class S4 WBMK Opel Kadett GSi 2.0. With elder brother, Martin, set to rejoin the local scene in 2006 this could prove to be another interesting family tussle.
Kesevan Naidoo and Garth Scholtz managed to flip their Fix-a-Smash class S3 CCMCC Toyota Conquest RSi 1600 in stage three. Caught out by the same instruction that ended the Williams challenge in 2004, the Conquest fortunately landed back on it’s wheels and could continue. Unfortunately the gearbox casing cracked and the unit cried enough in stage six.
SA GpN2 champions for 2005, Mike Nathan and Graham Hooper, had a day they would rather like to forget as the AWI Corolla showed signs of drama enroute to the start and then blew a cylinder head gasket in stage one. Nursing the obviously sick engine saw them reach stage five against all odds before finally calling it a day.
Jacques Brits and Johan le Grange also had their best ever season finish disappointingly when their normally very reliable Lize Signs class S3 Toyota Conquest RSi 1600 cried enough in stage five with a suspected conrod problem.
Sadly the expected local showing of Richard Behm and Grant St Clair in the Sasol Gp N4 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI Turbo 4x4 did not materialize and the similar Arc-en-Ciel Evo VI of Paul Pfeiffer and Duncan English also failed to start.
Though the 2005 WP rally season might not have enjoyed the numbers or names expected it certainly did not fail in both competitor and spectator value.
The Total WP Rally Championship 2006 will see many teams return to the action and the great news is that the series sponsor is targeting the true privateer rallyist.
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JP Damseaux and Cobus Vrey - Team Total Class A7
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Thanks to the much valued support of Total we can look forward to a fantastic 2006 season. Adding to the Christmas bonuses is the fact that Silverstone Tyres have also committed themselves to an involvement in the regional championship. Expect announcements on both in the near future.
“Skindernuus” has Mike Nathan moving up to class A6 and the Williams pair into A7! Team GrandPa should be back in A6.
Ettiene du Toit is currently having his N2 Corolla re-shelled but may also be moving into another class. Wessel Venter is planning a comeback and Charl Strydom will soon be trying out the latest A6 creation from VW. After having driven 0 car in Ceres one could just find Wynand Loubser considering a comeback as both his son’s thoroughly enjoyed this first taste. Also returning will be 61 year old Robbie Robertson in his fuel injected class S2 Toyota Corolla SR5 1600.
Jean du Plessis is nearly finished with his E36 BMW 328i and Thorsten Pey is progressing nicely with his E36 325i. Add Okkie Keyser in the Skyline and regional rallying is on the up again.
Wynand Theron and Tobie Basson are also set to return in an as yet undecided VW mount and Shaun Jones, Neels van Wyk and Thenswille Overmeyer will also be back.
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You have to put your sponsors to the test - the "Fix a smash" Conquest.
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Having been invited to marshal on the Ceres event I must add that this is possibly the best way to get started in the sport as you will soon have a working knowledge of the intricacies associated with rallying, meet all the various personalities involved and experience the action close-up.
Competitors rarely have an insight into how much effort is put into marshalling by a very select group of individuals and it was impressive to arrive at the start with all the required paperwork in place, clocks synchronized and accurate instructions to the point of duty.
Arriving at the start of stage five the arrowing team had been through and the 00 crew was already present. They had hardly disappeared when the 0 car arrived. Then the chief marshal arrived for a final check of equipment. By the time the 0 car reached the end of the stage the medical crew and radio marshal was in place and the first competitors arrived.
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Boetie Hugo and Gawie Smit
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In short succession they departed from the scene with follow-up right behind and then the pick-up crew. This happens on each and every stage with a multitude of requests, problems and changes being implemented as normal routine. They also have the neatest “road book” I have ever encountered. With travelling compensation added this is definitely the way to enter the sport. Contact Koos Rabe at 072 243 6450 for more details.
Thank you to Ceres Toyota (Francois van Wyk) and Speedy Tyre & Exhaust Brackenfell (Wynand Loubser) as well as Players in Ceres, you make it possible to have superb events such as these and we look forward to a stunning 2006! How much more enthusiasm can a sponsor display than contributing towards the event in financial capacity, then buying a car with which he could do duty as 0 car!
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Wynand Loubser
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Teh event was organised by the Witzenberg Motor Club and held on 29th October 2005.
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