Toyota Dealer Rally - Western Cape
author: Patrick Vermaak
The Western Cape is well represented at national level, in fact so well represented that the regional series suffers. Combining the second round of both the WP and Sasol SA Championships made the regional representation impressive to say the least and it’s just ironic that this event should start and finish in the Strand the year after home town hero, Serge Damseaux, decided to retire.
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Pic by Hannes Oosthuizen
Enzo Kuun and Guy Hodgson chasing
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Natal made it clear that this year will see rallying rise to the occasion as the leading motorsport formula in South Africa and if you consider this a bold statement you obviously did not follow the Toyota Dealer Rally on 4/5 April. Scary would be a fitting analysis of this event as one cannot imagine how it could get any better when the Sasol Rally starts in May! The five leading cars separated by only two seconds after 75km of stages on day one and only nine seconds separating the leading two at the end of the event! Add to this fact that VW snubbed Toyota in their home event and you simply cannot afford to miss the Algoa Rally in July.
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Pic by Hannes Oosthuizen
Hergen Fekken and Pierre Arries taking off
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Western Cape ace navigator, Pierre Arries, directing talented Hergen Fekken to his second national championship win in the low flying BP Ultimate S2000 VW Polo 4x4 with fellow Capetonians, Enzo Kuun and Guy Hodgson, second in another BP Ultimate S2000 VW Polo 4x4 despite the fact that they won five stages compared to the three won by Hergen. Possibly the biggest warning to the opposition as clearly Hergen have learned to combine pace with tactics. (En ja Leon, ons weet Enzo behoort aan PMC, maar hy bly in die Kaap!).
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Pic by Frank Pey
Jon and Doug winning SS5
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Jon and Doug Williams sixth overall in their Leatt Brace S2000 VW Polo 4x4 after another consistent showing. Winning the Imperial Toyota spectator stage at the Pick & Pay Hypermarket on Friday evening kept local fans happy. Jean-Pierre Damseaux and Cobus Vrey showed early promise in the Total Evolution S2000 Toyota Run X 4x4 but suffered a puncture in SS4 and then found themselves in front wheel drive mode for most of Saturday when the rear differential bowed out.
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Pic by Hannes Oosthuizen
Jean-Pierre Damseaux and Cobus Vrey deserved better
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Fernando Rueda and Dave Lewkowicz finished second in the Production Cars category with their Gp N4 Total Evolution Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 4x4, scoring handsome points towards the 2008 title but it was the performance of brother-in-law, Paul Pfeiffer, and Cindi Harding that attracted attention as their much older Nobili Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 4x4 blew everyone away, beating his brother-in-law by a massive 3min08 on an event where seconds were extremely hard to come by!
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Pic by Frank Pey
Paul Pfeiffer and Cindi Harding unofficial N4 winners
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Contemplating a new N14 Subaru for 2008 dispensation was received to run with the same shockabsorbers (now illegal in 2008?) in Natal. You guessed it, he drilled them, and suddenly his support to run the same car in the Cape disappeared, forcing him to run as a regional only entry.
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Pic by Frank Pey
Andy Haigh-Smith and Jonathan Bright 2nd A6
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The next Cape based entry finished 22nd overall and a close second in class A6 after an entertaining duel with the Team Total Evolution Toyota Run X 1600 of Natal veterans, Craig Trott and Tony Ball. Swartland based, Andy Haigh-Smith, had many reasons to smile about this event as he gave very good account of himself as driver of the REACT Marketing Toyota Corolla RXi 1600. Jonathan Bright enjoying every second as navigator.
Debutant driver, Duncan English and Rob Williams taking a fine third in Gp N3 on their debut event in the Team Total Evolution Toyota Run X RSi 1800. Better known as a former WP champion navigator Duncan kept his nose clean enroute to a fine finish on his first attempt as a driver.
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Pic by Frank Pey
André Cleenwerck and Des de Fortier dominated A5
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25th Overall after a dominant drive in the class A5 BP Ultimate VW Golf Chico 1.4i serves as adequate proof of just how challenging an event this was. Cape based driver, André Cleenwerck, and Des de Fortier winning much as they pleased. With the authorities backing out of their ruling that 98 octane will be enforced for this season the VW benefited greatly as the A5 engines simply lack power without the gummy berry juice. Second place deserve mentioning here as there is a link to the Western Cape. Tjaart Conradie and Tiaan Rabe drive the fuel injected Techwood Toyota Tazz 1.3 to very good effect but found themselves simply outpaced on top end in the Cape. Neels Rabe is a well know motorsport commentator on Western Cape rallies and Tiaan (Sasol fuel guru) is the son of his Oudtshoorn based brother, who is a well known motorsport artist.
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Pic by Frank Pey
Abduraghman Amlay and Yusuf Ganief encouraging finish
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Gugulethu Zulu and Cape based navigator, Carl Peskin, were going great guns in the class A7 BP Ultimate VW Polo 2.0 until the final stage saw them break a driveshaft and drop to an eventual fourth place in class. Disappointing, but they have proven that they can take the fight to their competitors. Abduraghman Amlay and Ysuf Ganief happy to accept 30th overall and fourth in Gp N3 with their new Toyota Run X RSi 1800. This their second event in the new car and a finish did their confidence the world of good.
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Pic by Hannes Oosthuizen
Steven White and Dirk Malan 1st N2
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Steven White and Dirk Malan 31st in the second REACT Marketing entry, the Gp N2 winning Mitsubishi Lancer GT 1600. Making it home as the final finishers at national level was not quite what Ettiene du Toit and Patrick Vermaak had envisaged as a good result and somehow the fact that they managed very competitive times on eleven of the twelve stages do not make it any easier to accept. The Sasol Toyota Run X RSi 1800 running a close third in class after six stages only to suffer a puncture in SS7. Changing the wheel in good time saw the team return to action, only to have the left rear wheel pass the car on the right at the very next corner. Inspecting this they found the nuts still in place on the wheel studs?
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Pic by Frank Pey
Ettiene du Toit and Patrick Vermaak on that wheel
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The errant wheel continued on it’s way down the valley and nearly attacked the following Run X of Kosta Koumantarakis and Barry White. The farmer will hopefully phone when the wheel is found in 2009 and we will be able to solve the mystery. Damage to the thread had the team battle to get the punctured tyre back on the car and eventually they reached service with four minutes spare. Running competitive times in the class rebuilt morale to some degree. Compliments to Rodney Visagie and Carolyn Swan on a deserved class win and another superb run by Kosta Koumantarakis and Barry White certainly make this a super competitive category.
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Pic by Frank Pey
Charl Strydom and Sakkie Bosman trying hard
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Retirees from the national field included the Sabre Paints class A6 VW Polo 1600 of Charl Strydom and Sakkie Bosman. They had a fire extinguisher come loose in a stage before breaking a shockabsorber in SS9. Unfortunately John Peiser and Brian Hoskins failed to start in the Speed Pro Cycling Equipment Gp N4 Subaru Impreza GT 4x4 when the rear differential failed shortly before the start. More attention to the Cape Epic where former rallyist, Mark Johnson was having fun. The long awaited debut of Johann Kotzé and Derek Jacobs still on hold thanks to the fuel vs engines issues. Plans to run in A6 shelved in favour of an A5 debut.
Regional Only Entries
Playground for anything not complying to national rules, but on this occasion the entry included two national level machines. Paul Pfeiffer and Cindi Harding having no option to run as a regional only entry thanks to the single objection to their presence at national level.
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Pic by Ian Oosthuizen
Charl Wilken and Greg Godrich won N4
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They would have been eighth overall and first Gp N4 production car, 1min47 clear of Charl Wilken and Greg Godrich in the Sasol Konica Subaru WRX STi. No mean feat when taking into account that the S2000 cars could hardly find seconds between them.
Kesevan Naidoo and Garth Ritsch survived best to take second regional only in their Freightmore class S3 Toyota Conquest RSi 1600, a well deserved result for a team that really tries hard with little backing.
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Pic by Hannes Oosthuizen
Ashley Haigh-Smith and Hilton Auffray 3rd Regional
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Third regional a fantastic debut result for the youngest rally driver in South Africa, fifteen year old Ashley Haigh-Smith and Hilton Auffray in the class A5 REACT Marketing Toyota Yaris 1.3. Changing roles on the open sections had the team really busy at times but they received a standing ovation at Helderberg Toyota. Expect to hear much more good things about this youngster! Shaun Jones and Craig Gray should have been second regional only home but were time-barred in the SAC class S5 VW Golf IV TDi.
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Pic by Hannes Oosthuizen
Shaun Jones and Craig Gray time-barred
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The normally very reliable Winning Business Solutions / Forsdicks Tygervalley class S4 E36 BMW 325i of Thorsten Pey and Mark Palmer halted after SS6 when they found the gearbox filled with neutrals.
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Pic by Hannes Oosthuizen
Thorsten Pey and Mark Palmer rare non finish
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Clinton Sassman and Winston Neethling survived a very close moment and looked set for a good result until their Howard Centre Motors class S4 E30 BMW 325i retired minus a front wheel.
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Pic by Hannes Oosthuizen
Clinton Sassman and Winston Neethling - That was close!
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Gearbox maladies put the class S3 VW golf MkI 1800 of André George and George du Toit out of the running whilst a persistent misfire saw Robbie Robertson and Ria Marais retire their 1976 class S2 Toyota Corolla SR5 1600. Rupert van Zyl and Marius Rudolph disappointed to retire with a broken CV on their Hollandse Motors class S3 VW Golf MkII 2.0. Inus du Plessis and Piet Carinus failed to make stage one in their rapid class S4 E30 BMW 325i.
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Pic by Hannes Oosthuizen
André George and George du Toit broken gearbox
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The next regional event, the popular 8 stage Ceres Toyota Rally takes place on Saturday 17 May 2008 and the spectator friendly event should attract a much better entry.
Do not miss the action!
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