Barloworld Swartland Rally
author: Patrick Vermaak
(Barloworld Swartland Rally - now that Patrick remembered to attach the article)
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JP Damseaux and Cobus Vrey - overall winners
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Against all odds it was Jean-Pierre Damseaux and Cobus Vrey that secured a very impressive overall victory in the Team Total class A7 Toyota Corolla 2.0 20v. Given conditions on the day the odds were stacked against the two wheel drive vehicles but Damseaux Motorsport simply stepped up a gear, fitted skids to the low level bomber and slithered through the mud with comparative ease.
Officially the coldest day of the year in the Western Cape competitors were also faced with torrential rain and flooded roads. Using all their experience JP and Cobus came out guns ablaze and surprised by taking ten seconds off Paul Pfeiffer and Carl Peskin in the Gp N4 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 Turbo 4x4. Then they added twenty three seconds on stage two before the 4x4 got into it’s stride to reclaim two on stage three. Paul and Carl would eventually win three of the eight stages and come very close on three more, but the experience of the Toyota team saw them hang on to the end for a 52 second win.
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Paul Pfeiffer and Carl Peskin winners in N4 class
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Third overall and second in N4 went to John Peiser and Brian Hoskins in their Speed Pro Cycling Equipment Subaru Impreza GT 4x4 Turbo. Sharing the stage 5 win really illustrating their new found confidence, but it so nearly did not happen. A puncture early in stage 3 had Hoskins huffing and puffing to change the wheel and less than one kilometer from the finish of the final stage the Scooby blew it’s turbo and punctured another tyre. Nursing a very sick, powerless, car to the parc ferme at Killarney saw the team arriving with less than two minutes in reserve. Helps to have an old navigator who hates getting his feet wet!
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Peter Heyer-Cleave Brendon Schultz S5 winners
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The Kenian class S5 Hydron Oils Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3 Turbo 4x4 of Peter Heyer-Cleave and Brendon Schultz scored their best result to date with a fine fourth overall after a relatively trouble free run. Never thought they would ever really need that snorkel in SA conditions but it proved very handy in this event. Fifth overall and first in GpN2 was a very popular result for Andy Haigh-Smith and Dirk Malan in the CPMCC rally development entry, the REACT Mitsubishi Lancer GLX 1600. The air intake system on this car obviously well sorted as it never took in any water. According to Andy it simply stops on top of the water, sinks to the bottom and they drive it out again.
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Andy Haigh-Smith and Dirk Malan Winners in Class N2
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Shaun Jones and Billy Thorpe found that the class S5 VW Golf Synchro 2.0 “floated” like a butterfly but lacked the sting of a bee. Handling proved somewhat suspect in the wet and the engine ingested sufficient water to have it misfire for most of the day. Sixth overall somewhat disappointing after much work had gone into this car.
Andre George and Hilton Auffray also suffered with a persistent misfire on their normally bullet proof class S2 VW Golf 1.6 but were happy to claim seventh spot in trying conditions.
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André George & Hilton Auffray Winners in S2
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On only his second event since returning it was Martin Esterhuyse and Francois Erasmus who claimed top honours in class S4 with their unique 2.0 six cylinder Cressida powered Toyota Corolla rwd. This engine has a formidable appetite for NGK plugs but once sorted this sweet sounding six is set to mix it with the BMW trio.
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Martin Esterhuyse and Francois Erasmus 1st Class S4
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Final team home were Kesevan Naidoo and Adrienne Swart in the Fix-a-Smash class
S3 Toyota Conquest RSi 1.6. The yellow Conquest was actually withdrawn shortly before the start of the event with engine problems, only to get some valuable assistance from Louis Snyman. However, by this time navigator Garth Scholtz had set off to spectate at Klein Morewag and could not be reached.
Adrienne Swart was present and found herself borrowing helmets and the like to fill the vacant suicide seat on very short notice. It might have sounded very rough at the end, but they brought it home, at last!
Jon Williams had Cindi Harding navigating as Douglas found himself assisting Shane at East London where the youngster had to drive in the Engen Polo Cup races. Obviously leaving Rob without a drive as the Chico 1.4i remained home and Jon needing another pathfinder. They impressed with their pace on the first three stages but retired on stage four, Jonaskloof, when the Polo swallowed water.
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Mike Nathan and (the forgetful to attach articles) Patrick Vermaak in N2 before the engine (that was the scrapyard edition?) said goodbye and tatta!
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Mike Nathan and Patrick Vermaak was considered a doomed combination by many and with the AWI Gp N2 Toyota Corolla 1.6 still running on the V6 engine from the PE scrapyard not even the team knew what to expect. Surprisingly the crew clicked quite well and by stage three the team settled down into a nice rhythm, only to drown the V6 in stage four. Having lost nearly three minutes spluttering to the service park a good time on five had them aiming for a good recovery.
The damage probably done in stage three, Sandkloof, where a submarine would have been more effective than any rally car. Watching the cars from the startline was easy as you simply followed the plumes of water on the horizon. Sandkloof 2 saw the Corolla vanish into another water filled cavity and approaching the spectator point on Jonaskloof 2, stage 7, a conrod ventilated the engine. That being the fifth unit and the season is only half done!
Kobus Edas and Derek Jacobs blasted by the AWI Corolla in Jonaskloof 2 only to retire a little later with a broken sideshaft on their Schwartland Autohaus class A6 Toyota Corolla RSi 1.6. Clinton Sassman and Andy Schreuder scored good points with a brilliant belly flop into a dam of water, but the Team Economic class S4 BMW 325i did not enjoy the treatment. Tienie Overmeyer and Wesley van Heerden parked their Gp N2 Toyota Corolla RSi 1.6 in the muddy scenery on stage three, whilst a collapsing coilspring had Gavin Grierson and David Delaney park their class S2 Datsun 160U SSS after stage two.
Eugene Marais and Paul van Greunen completed five stages in their Fetch & Carry class S3 VW Golf GTi 1.8 before the altenator cried enough. Thorsten Pey and Mark Palmer discovered that the massive wheelspin they were experiencing in the mud was actually a slipping clutch on the Forsdicks Service class S4 BMW 325i. They headed for an early shower after a single stage. The most frightening incident involved Harry Giliomee and Fritz Blom after stage two. The class S2 Toyota Corolla 1.6 literally hit by a truck as they left the stop control. Fortunately nobody suffered injuries and the team are already planning the rebuild.
Hilton Africa, Clerk of the Course, and his team were complimented on the fact that the event ran on time despite the weather conditions whilst Lance and Rosemarie Maytham received special acknowledgement having completed the entire route as follow-up in a standard Corolla on well used road tyres without once getting stuck.
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John Peiser & Brian Hoskins 2nd in N4
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Though the name changed from Automark to Barloworld it was still Nigel Dodgen at the helm as title sponsor of the event. A have become the norm now the regional only competitors earned great rewards from series sponsor Total SA and we are now looking forward to the fifth round of the Total WP Rally championship planned for the Klipdale area on 26 August 2006.
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