Blue Crane Benefit Rally 2008
author: Patrick Vermaak
Two weeks to the final round of the 2008 Western Cape Rally championship. Six rounds gone and many a heart ache has been suffered, also some very good results and big smiles.
Round seven of the 2008 Western Province Rally Championship will take competitors on a gravel, nine stage, tour of the Overberg district with the Caledon Hotel, Spa and Casino as centre point.
|
Pic by Patrick Vermaak
Candidate four, Duncan English and Rob Williams, still in with a chance
|
A centralised service park will be in operation at the well known Overberg Agri premises, behind the grain silos. Competitors will face 93 Km of good, fast special stages with a total event distance of 328 Km. All the special stages have been run before. Some of the roads have been repaired or resurfaced (graded) and therefore are in good condition provided we don't have floods before the 4th October.
The entries are expected to be light due to the last event. However we must look on the bright side of things hoping that there is enough enthusiasm for the competitors to prepare their steeds for the final challenge.
|
Picture by Patrick Vermaak
Fighters to the end Thorsten Pey and Mark Palmer will as always give it their all
|
At the awards function we will once again be making a donation to the Overberg Crane group. We have also been talking of awarding a competitor for his efforts in finishing the Rally having had the most problems after the National but having made the effort to contest the final round.
|
Pic by Patrick Vermaak
Favourites for 2008 championship John Peiser and Brian Hoskins N4 Subaru
|
John Peiser and Brian Hoskins must start as the most likely combination to win the 2008 Western Province Championship overall in their Speed Pro Cycling Components Gp N4 Subaru Impreza GT 4x4 Turbo (the original Nicholas Ryan car). Now reliable and consistent they showed a fair turn of speed during the recent Swartland Rally. Even requiring a dash of Richelieu afterwards.
|
Pic by Patrick Vermaak
Exclusion spoiled perfect season for Steven White and Jonathan Bright
|
Steven White and Jonathan Bright have been consistency from the word go and did everything required, only to fall foul of incorrect tarmac rims on the Swartland when the Gp N2 Mitsubishi Lancer GT1600 was excluded from a national N2 victory. To top it all Ashley Haigh-Smith and Hilton Auffray inverted their class A5 Toyota Yaris 1.3 on Friday and the third REACT entry, the A6 Toyota Corolla RXi 1600, lost it's left front wheel.
Andy Haigh-Smith possibly considering a switch from traditional whiskey to a few cases of the Richelieu alternative after a rally filled with frustration. Unfortunately he was beaten to Selwyn Williams by Thorsten Pey when he discovered a sporting error on the final results. Mark Palmer left Parc Ferme at the end of the Swartland knowing all was well as far as his paperwork was concerned and headed for a shower.
|
Pic by Patrick Vermaak
Impressive year for Abduraghman Amlay and Yusuf Ganief
|
Cracking the lid of a second Richelieu they discovered that a misprint resulted in a ten minute early penalty which now became part of the final results thanks to their absence when provisionals appeared. Realising that another ten minutes of lateness had to be calculated the third Richelieu arrived when they still managed to win the regional only section of the event by four seconds! Have certainly never seen the Teletubbies this pale before!
In with a serious shout for the 2008 overall title the scores WILL be checked this time! All the REACT cars set to return for Caledon.
Do not however forget about the Run X interference provided by former WP rally navigators champion turned driver, Duncan English, and Rob Williams (youngest of the Williams brothers) in their Gp N3 Toyota and the similar machine campaigned by Abduraghman Amlay and Yusuf Ganief.
With the numbers function at the CPMCC Rollbar on Tuesday 23 September 2008 speculation wants to have Jean-Pierre Damseaux and Cobus Vrey present in their Team Total S2000 Totota as well as Jon and Doug Williams in their S2000 VW Cape Tourism VW Polo.
Watch this space!
|
|
