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PORT ELIZABETH, East London - Championship leaders Guy Botterill/Simon Vacy-Lyle (Toyota Etios) scored their fourth consecutive victory in the 2014 SA National Rally championship for two-wheel drive S1600 cars here on Saturday (July 12).
They won 10 of the 15 special stages that made up the two-day VW Rally, halfway point of the eight-round championship.
They now have a full-house 100 points and a healthy lead of 44 over their nearest rivals but it was no easy victory. They were given a run for their money by a resurgent Chad van Beurden/Nico Swartz (VW Polo R2) who recorded their second runner-up finish of 2014 and were only 11sec in arrears after nearly 180km of high-speed racing over 12 gravel and three tar stages.
CLOSE COMPETTION
Van Beurden won four stages and led the rally at the end of Friday’s seven stages by 18sec, the first to better Botterill at the end of any day of the championship so far.
Third, 2min36 behind the winners, were Ernie van der Walt/James Aldridge (Ford Fiesta R2) who achieved their best result of the year to date together. It was also Van der Walt’s best performance since joining the championship full-time from circuit racing in 2013.
AC Potgieter/Tommy du Toit (Polo) improved their overnight fifth to fourth with their best result of the season, finishing 5min21 in arrears. Andrew Heine and former S1600 co-driver champion Robbie Coetzee (Polo) were fifth ahead of Chris Coertse and 16-year-old Mari van der Walt (Toyota Etios R2), who were the last of the 10 S1600 entries to complete the full event.
Seventh under the Super Rally rules although they only completed Saturday’s first three stages, were Ashley Haigh-Smith/Damian van Ass (Fiesta R2). They were carrying a three-minute penalty for a technical infringement on Friday.
Matthew Vacy-Lyle and Schalk van Heerden (Etios R2) were classified eighth after rolling their car on Saturday’s Stage 9 and Paulus Franken/Henry Kohne (Polo R2) came ninth after going off the road on Stage 10.
Tenth and last were the unfortunate Richard Leeke jnr/Rikus Fourie (Fiesta R2), who lost four minutes on Stage 4 on Friday with gearbox problems while third and then were forced out on Saturday’s Stage 9 when the gearbox failed altogether.
The next round of the championship will be the Cullinan Rally over August 15/16.
They won 10 of the 15 special stages that made up the two-day VW Rally, halfway point of the eight-round championship.
They now have a full-house 100 points and a healthy lead of 44 over their nearest rivals but it was no easy victory. They were given a run for their money by a resurgent Chad van Beurden/Nico Swartz (VW Polo R2) who recorded their second runner-up finish of 2014 and were only 11sec in arrears after nearly 180km of high-speed racing over 12 gravel and three tar stages.
CLOSE COMPETTION
Van Beurden won four stages and led the rally at the end of Friday’s seven stages by 18sec, the first to better Botterill at the end of any day of the championship so far.
Third, 2min36 behind the winners, were Ernie van der Walt/James Aldridge (Ford Fiesta R2) who achieved their best result of the year to date together. It was also Van der Walt’s best performance since joining the championship full-time from circuit racing in 2013.
AC Potgieter/Tommy du Toit (Polo) improved their overnight fifth to fourth with their best result of the season, finishing 5min21 in arrears. Andrew Heine and former S1600 co-driver champion Robbie Coetzee (Polo) were fifth ahead of Chris Coertse and 16-year-old Mari van der Walt (Toyota Etios R2), who were the last of the 10 S1600 entries to complete the full event.
Seventh under the Super Rally rules although they only completed Saturday’s first three stages, were Ashley Haigh-Smith/Damian van Ass (Fiesta R2). They were carrying a three-minute penalty for a technical infringement on Friday.
Matthew Vacy-Lyle and Schalk van Heerden (Etios R2) were classified eighth after rolling their car on Saturday’s Stage 9 and Paulus Franken/Henry Kohne (Polo R2) came ninth after going off the road on Stage 10.
Tenth and last were the unfortunate Richard Leeke jnr/Rikus Fourie (Fiesta R2), who lost four minutes on Stage 4 on Friday with gearbox problems while third and then were forced out on Saturday’s Stage 9 when the gearbox failed altogether.
The next round of the championship will be the Cullinan Rally over August 15/16.
