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One month before the start of the 2010 national rally season one of the top driver and navigator teams in the country have announced they will not compete together this year.
For Volkswagen Rally teammates Jan Habig and Douglas Judd this ends a successful 17 year association that has seen them rake in six national championship titles together. The pair have most recently contested the premier S2000 national rally class in a Volkswagen Polo and were the first rally team in the world to claim a national title in this category.
“No doubt this news comes as a surprise to the motorsport community,” says Habig. “It is not sudden for Douglas and myself though. We’ve spoken about it many times over the last few seasons. Increasing work responsibilities and pressures have been chewing into Douglas’ time and the workload which lies ahead for him this year has forced the decision.
“It has been fantastic working with Douglas, I don’t think he made even a handful of navigational errors in all the time we have been together – and his 35 years of motorsport experience have proved invaluable to our success,” says Habig.
“When you talk about 100 percent effort and total dedication and professionalism, then you are talking about Douglas Judd.”
Habig points to the 1994 RAC (Royal Automobile Club) rally – the first time ever that he and Douglas were faced with pace notes – as a highlight.
For Habig the headache has been to find a new navigator that would be able to fill the void left by Judd’s departure. Here Pretoria-based Ralph Pitchford will step up to the challenge. While not quite the same form of motorsport as national rallying, Pitchford has his success in the incredibly gruelling Dakar events to ease his transition.
Pitchford most recently completed the 2010 Dakar as the navigator for Mark Miller (USA) in the third-placed Volkswagen Touareg 2. This makes for his second podium result in this international arena of competition and the speed with which he adapts to new challenges will stand him in good stead for the South African National Rally Championship battle.
“Ralph does not have much rally experience in our form of competition,” says Habig. “I needed someone hungry, someone keen and who could adapt quickly to new surroundings, I am very lucky that Ralph is available and this is going to be an interesting, and challenging, season. I think Ralph will fit the bill and will quickly become a valuable member of the team.”
Habig and Pitchford will compete in a smaller, more dynamic environment than that of the Touareg 2s. The local rallying scene demands a faster pace of information over shorter distances but Habig is confident that Pitchford is not only capable of the task, but will excel in the season ahead.
Pitchford will join Habig for their first event of the season in Kwa-Zulu Natal (March). On those occasions when existing international commitments call Pitchford away, Judd has indicated that he is willing to step up and assist.
For Volkswagen Rally teammates Jan Habig and Douglas Judd this ends a successful 17 year association that has seen them rake in six national championship titles together. The pair have most recently contested the premier S2000 national rally class in a Volkswagen Polo and were the first rally team in the world to claim a national title in this category.
“No doubt this news comes as a surprise to the motorsport community,” says Habig. “It is not sudden for Douglas and myself though. We’ve spoken about it many times over the last few seasons. Increasing work responsibilities and pressures have been chewing into Douglas’ time and the workload which lies ahead for him this year has forced the decision.
“It has been fantastic working with Douglas, I don’t think he made even a handful of navigational errors in all the time we have been together – and his 35 years of motorsport experience have proved invaluable to our success,” says Habig.
“When you talk about 100 percent effort and total dedication and professionalism, then you are talking about Douglas Judd.”
Habig points to the 1994 RAC (Royal Automobile Club) rally – the first time ever that he and Douglas were faced with pace notes – as a highlight.
For Habig the headache has been to find a new navigator that would be able to fill the void left by Judd’s departure. Here Pretoria-based Ralph Pitchford will step up to the challenge. While not quite the same form of motorsport as national rallying, Pitchford has his success in the incredibly gruelling Dakar events to ease his transition.
Pitchford most recently completed the 2010 Dakar as the navigator for Mark Miller (USA) in the third-placed Volkswagen Touareg 2. This makes for his second podium result in this international arena of competition and the speed with which he adapts to new challenges will stand him in good stead for the South African National Rally Championship battle.
“Ralph does not have much rally experience in our form of competition,” says Habig. “I needed someone hungry, someone keen and who could adapt quickly to new surroundings, I am very lucky that Ralph is available and this is going to be an interesting, and challenging, season. I think Ralph will fit the bill and will quickly become a valuable member of the team.”
Habig and Pitchford will compete in a smaller, more dynamic environment than that of the Touareg 2s. The local rallying scene demands a faster pace of information over shorter distances but Habig is confident that Pitchford is not only capable of the task, but will excel in the season ahead.
Pitchford will join Habig for their first event of the season in Kwa-Zulu Natal (March). On those occasions when existing international commitments call Pitchford away, Judd has indicated that he is willing to step up and assist.