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Pietermaritzburg, Friday - The reputation Century Racing pair Colin Matthews and Alan Smith have earned as sprint specialists took another turn for the better when they waltzed away today with the honours on the Donaldson Prologue at the Atlas Copco Timbertrack 400 in Richmond. The prologue determined grid positions for tomorrow’s race, round three of the Absa Off Road Championship, with Matthews and Smith, in the Century Racing CR3 running in Class P, a whopping two minutes and 50 seconds ahead of Class A leaders Marius and Jolinda Fourie who were second overall in the PHB BAT. Third were reigning championship leaders Johan van Staden and Mile Lawrenson (Atlas Copco BAT) who were a further 14 seconds adrift of the Fourie husband and wife combination. While they have a reputation as prologue specialists Matthews and Smith have scored two Class P wins in a row this season, and on a technical and demanding route in the Umkomaas River Valley they will be hard to beat. After just one finish in eight events last season it is a complete turn about for Matthews and Smith. “That was our best performance for a long time,” said Matthews. “We never got out the car, but it is going to be a very difficult race.” Fourth place went to the steady father and son combination of Nardus and Louis Alberts, in the Wrapsa BAT, with local crew Lance Trethewey and Carl Wichmann completing the top five in the LT Earthmovers BAT. Just on four and a half minutes separated the first five cars. “It is going to be a tough race, and if there is rain overnight it is going to be even tougher,” said Trethewey. “On this route you cannot afford to stray of the track and overnight rain will make it treacherous.” Second in Class P were Richard Fuller and Dennis Murphy in the Regent Racing BAT. They were around five minutes behind Matthews/Smith with third placed John Telford and Jaco Swart (Calcamite BAT) another 10 minutes in arrears. For a string of fancied runners, including reigning South African champions Hermann and Wichard Sullwald (Elegant Fuel BAT), it was not a happy afternoon. The Sullwalds ended up 10th in the Special Vehicle category and struggled with patchy GPS navigational aid and lost communications between driver and co-driver. Brothers David and Gary White (Ruwacon BAT) and Laurence and Gerhard du Plessis (Zarco) were sixth and seventh. Next up were the father and son pair of Nick and Ryan Harper (Motorite Revo 4x4) who battled to find a rhythm. A broken steering rod was also a major disappointment for former SA champion Evan Hutchison and Danie Stassen. They expect to repair the damage but will start from the back of the field and face an uphill task to salvage valuable championship points. The race tomorrow starts at 8:30 at the Richmond Country Club. Teams will complete two laps of a 175 kilometre route with a compulsory 15 minute stop at the end of the first loop at the club. The route is spectator friendly with spectator guides available at race headquarters. Ends 18 May 2012 ISSUED SA NATIONAL OFF ROAD CAR RACING ASSOCIATION INFORMATION CHARMAINE FORTUNE 011 462 6243 WEBSITE www.saoffroadracing.co.za IMAGES www.motorpics.co.za CASTROL TOYOTA DOMINATE ATLAS COPCO TIMBERTRACK 400 PROLOGUE Pietermaritzburg, Friday – The Castrol Team Toyota squad ruled supreme on today’s Donaldson Prologue to determine grid positions for the Atlas Copco Timbertrack 400, round three of the Absa Off Road Championship, in Richmond tomorrow. The factory Castrol Toyota Hilux pair of Anthony Taylor/Chris Birkin and Duncan Vos/Rob Howie were first and second on a technical and demanding 60 kilometre route. Taylor/Birkin edged out Vos/Howie by only 16 seconds with local favourite Alfie Cox and German co-driver Jurgen Schroeder another second behind in the PS Lazer Nissan Navara. After a dominant display on the recent Toyota Dealer 400 where they scored a one/two triumph with Vos/Howie leading home Taylor/Birkin, the alarm bells were again ringing for opposition teams. Both Toyota teams also had to work their way through some slower Special Vehicle category traffic. “It was a tight and technical route and the race is going to be very difficult,” said Vos. The former South African champion and Howie also currently lead to overall and premier SP Class title races. Cox, who lives just up the road from Richmond, and Schroder also reported a clean run. The former SA champion is more than familiar with local conditions and will be confident of giving the Toyota pair a run for their money. Fourth fastest were Gary Bertholdt and Ralph Pitchford in the Atlas Copco Toyota Hilux with the pair carrying the sponsors hopes of a victory on their own event. Veteran former SA champions Hannes Grobler and Hennie ter Stege, in the RFS BMW X3, completed the top five with around three minutes separating the crews. At the other end of the scale it was a miserable day for the Pietermaritzburg-based Ford Racing team on what is their home race. Former SA champions Chris Visser and Japie Badenhorst were hit by a fuel injector problem, and Lance Woolridge and Ward Huxtable hit a rock seven kilometres into the prologue and broke a control arm. Both Fords will make it to the start of the race but will start from the back of the field. That will make life difficult for both crews who will be forced into fighting rearguard actions with Visser/Badenhorst, in particular, in need of salvaging championship points. Class D was again dominated by championship leaders Cliff Weichelt and Johann Smalberger in the N1 4x4 Toyota Land Cruiser. They have won twice this season and led home Mpumalanga brothers Johan and Werner Horn, in the Malalane Toyota Land Cruiser, with youngsters Jason Venter and Vincent van Alleman third in the 4x4 Mega World Toyota Hilux. Dirk Putter and Koos Claasens (Toyota Hilux) have also won twice this season and led home the Class E brigade. They were followed home by Johan Griffioen and Willem Marais (Force Fuel Toyota Hilux) and Diederik Hattingh and Buks Cilliers in the Transcor Toyota Hilux. Tomorrow’s race will start at the Richmond Country Club with crews completing two laps of a 175 kilometre route. There will be a compulsory 15 minute stop at the end of the first loop of what is a spectator friendly route. Route guides will be available at race headquarters. Public entry to race headquarters and spectator areas is free of charge. Ends |
