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COMFORTABLE VICTORIES IN NORTHERN REGIONS OFF ROAD CHAMPIONSHIP PDF Print E-mail
National Off Road News

COMFORTABLE VICTORIES IN NORTHERN REGIONS OFF ROAD CHAMPIONSHIP

 

There were some comfortable victories for frontrunners in both the Special and Production Vehicle categories at round seven of the Northern regions Off Road Championship at Carnival City over the weekend.

 

The event was run in conjunction with the 4x4 Mega World 400 as part of a project by the SA National Off Road Car Racing Association to promote off road racing at regional level. A tough and dusty 175 kilometre route proved to be a handful and crews were made to work for their results.

 

In the Special Vehicle category the overall win went to Daniel Brookes and Adam Jewell, in a BAT, who had almost five minutes to spare over veteran former national champion Giel Nel and Jaco Jonck in the Zarco Truggy. Third were Marius and Jolinda Fourie who were another three and a half minutes in arrears.

 

The Class B honours went to Nel and Jonck ahead of Johan de Klerk and Willem Pretorius in a Zarco. Brookes and Jewell dominated Class P ahead of the Fourie’s and Coetzee Labuscagne and daughter Sandra in another Zarco.

 

On the Production Vehicle front the overall win went to Gene Boshoff and Lotter Klein, in a Toyota Hilux, who had a more than comfortable 13 minute cushion over Jack and Sarel Oosthuizen in a Land Rover. Third were Ian Boshoff and Douw Grobler in another Toyota Hilux.

 

The Oosthuizen’s took Class D ahead of Kobus Kruger and Kobus Swanepoel, in a Toyota Hilux, with Class E going to Boshoff and Klein ahead of Boshoff and Grobler. Third were Chris and Anneline van Jaarsveld in a Ford Ranger.

 

The Challenge Class was won by Dana van der Walt and Peter Stallenberg, in a Toyota, ahead of Jan Roos and Sonja van der Walt in a Jeep.

The final round of the championship will be run in conjunction with the RFS Magalies 400 on November 20.

 

2010 4X4 Mega World 200 - Regional Category Results

 
4X4 MEGA WORLD 400 VICTORY FOR TEAM CASTROL TOYOTA PDF Print E-mail
National Off Road News

4X4 MEGA WORLD 400 VICTORY FOR TEAM CASTROL TOYOTA

 

Team Castrol Toyota Hilux pair Duncan Vos and Rob Howie gave the squad a much needed boost when they romped to victory in the Production Vehicle category on the 4x4 Mega World 400, round five of the Absa Off Road Championship, at Carnival City today.

 

It was the factory team’s first victory under new team principle Glyn Hall and Toyota’s third success of the season with privateers Chris Visser and Japie Badenhorst twice winning earlier in the season. Visser and Badenhorst, in the RFS Toyota Hilux, followed Vos and Howie across the line to consolidate their position at the top of the championship table.

 

The final podium place went to veteran former South African champions Hannes Grobler and Hennie ter Stege in the RFS BMW. It was only the third outing for the diesel BMW which is still very much in the development stage.

 

“That was hard work,” said Vos who is the reigning South African drivers’ champion. “The route turned into a co-driver’s nightmare but Rob did a fantastic job, and this was a win the team needed.

 

“With so many hidden dangers and lots of dust it was difficult to find a rhythm. A persistent misfire did not help but we stuck to our guns and it worked out okay.”

 

Visser and Badenhorst reported a clean run with Grobler and ter Stege delighted with the diesel BMWs maiden podium finish. Fourth place went to the second Team Castrol Toyota Hilux of Anthony Taylor and Robin Houghton with their day ruined by punctures and an overheating problem.

 

With Vos/Howie, Visser/Badenhorst and Grobler/ter Stege all frontrunners in the overall and premier SP Class championships, title races are now delicately poised. With three events remaining a race to the wire looks to be on the cards.

 

An encouraging performance gave Free State crew George Barkhuizen and David van Wyck their second top five finish of the season in the AIM Toyota Hilux, with Sun City winners Terence Marsh and Buks Carolin sixth in the Regent Racing Nissan Navara. Pretoria youngsters Christiaan du Plooy and Henk Jansen van Vuuren brought the RFS Toyota Hilux home seventh with Free State crew Louw de Bruin/Riaan Greyling (Ruwacon Ford Ranger) having a good day to complete the top eight.

 

It wasn’t such a good day for former SA champions Neil Woolridge and Kenny Skjoldhammer in the Team Ford Ranger. A gearbox problem on the prologue saw them start from the back of the field, and they were then penalised 60 minutes for deviating from the route – which dropped them to 16th overall and 12th in class and hurt their championship hopes.

 

Another notable retirement saw Thomas Rundle and Juan Mohr, third on the Sun City 400, call it a day on the second of the two 175 kilometre loops that made up the race. The Barden Tyres Nissan Navara picked up overheating problems.

 

What also looked like a good day for Louis Weichelt and Johan Smalberger, in the N1 4x4 Toyota Land Cruiser, turned sour. They were credited with the Class D win first time out in a new car, but were later excluded from the results for a technical infringement.

 

 With the retirements of championship leaders Dewald van Breda and Johann du Toit (Northam Toyota Hilux), and the 4x4 Mega World Toyota Hilux of Deon Venter and Ian Palmer there were no finishers in Class D.

 

There was, however, plenty of compensation for the Mega World team. Pikkie Labuschagne/Rikus Erasmus and Hein Moolman/JD Wolfaardt, both out in 4x4 Mega World Toyota Hilux entries, were first and second in Class E.

 

Teenager Lance Woolridge and Ward Huxtable (Team Ford Ranger), who led the championship going into this weekend’s event, were third. The title race is now delicately poised with young Woolridge facing a baptism of fire on his first Toyota Desert 1000 Race in Botswana next month.
 
MATTHEWS/SMITH WIN 4X4 MEGA WORLD 400 PROLOGUE PDF Print E-mail
National Off Road News

MATTHEWS/SMITH WIN 4X4 MEGA WORLD 400 PROLOGUE

 

The Century Racing pair of Colin Matthews and Alan Smith bounced back to form today when they won the Donaldson Prologue to determine Special Vehicle category start positions at tomorrow’s 4x4 Mega World 400 at Carnival City.

 

The event is round five of the Absa Off Road Championship and takes the series into the second half of the season. Matthews and Smith, having their first outing in the Century Racing CR3, are flyers but have been hampered in the past by reliability problems.

 

The Century Racing car, previously campaigned in Class P by Mark Corbett and Rudi Balzer, came in nearly a minute ahead of Bevan Bertholdt and Danie Stassen who were having their second outing in the new lab88 BAT. Third were reigning drivers’ champion Evan Hutchison and Darryl Curtis in the Motorite BAT.

 

The first three cars all reported clean runs and there will be some hectic early action from crews who do not hold back. Chasing after them will be Herman and Wichard Sullwald (Sullwald Racing SVR) and KwaZulu-Natal team Clint Gibson and Gary Campbell in the Gibson Racing SVR.

 

A trio of chargers completed the top eight with Nardus and Louis Alberts (Wrapsa BAT), Sun City 400 winners Kallie and Quintin Sullwald (Elegant Fuel BAT) and Jimmy Zahos/Stefan Coetzee (Cobalt Racing Porter) also disinclined to take prisoners.

 

The big losers on the day were championship leaders Shameer Variawa and Siegfried Rousseau, in the Total Porter, who deposited the car in a deep ditch. Despite a helping hand from the Sullwald’s, the car refused to budge and Variawa and Rousseau will start the race from the back of the field.

 

There was a setback for Class P championship leaders Johan van Staden and James Rossouw. A puncture dropped them down the pecking order and they will start 10th in class.

 

Swaziland crew John Thomson and Clinton McNamara (Zarco) set the fastest time ahead of the Regent Racing Porter pair of Archie Rutherford and Jacques le Roux who was making his national debut. Also making his debut was former rally champion Etienne Lourens who made an impressive start by finishing third, with experienced co-driver Philip Herselman in the Atlas Copco BAT.

 

The quickest time in Class B went to another Century Racing crew in Simon Beckett and Steve Harris who were just six seconds ahead of former Blue Bulls scrum half Coetzee Labuscagne and daughter Sandra in the Raysonics Zarco. Third were joint championship leaders Bez Bezuidenhout and daughter-in-law Lindie in the Adenco BAT.

 

The race starts at 8am tomorrow with race headquarters, the start/finish and the designated service point all at Carnival City in Brakpan. Public entry to these areas is free as well as to 19 spectator viewing points along the route.

 

2010 4X4 Megaworld 400 - Donaldson Prologue Results

 
SULLWALD FAMILY AFFAIR ON 4X4 MEGA WORLD 400 PDF Print E-mail
National Off Road News

SULLWALD FAMILY AFFAIR ON 4X4 MEGA WORLD 400

 

Two Sullwald teams today turned the Special Vehicle category on the 4x4 Mega World 400, round five of the Absa Off Road Championship, into a family affair.

 

Herman and Wichard Sullwald, in the Sullwald Racing SVR, crossed the finish line seconds ahead of Kallie and Quintin, in the Elegant Fuel BAT, to give the father and son teams a unique double. Brothers Herman and Kallie won the South African championship racing together in the mid 90s, Kallie and Quintin won the championship in 2008 and today’s result saw Wichard score his first ever national victory.

 

Only 13 seconds separated the two teams at the finish with Herman and Wichard starting fourth in Special Vehicle category and Kallie and Quintin seventh after the Donaldson Prologue on Friday to determine grid positions. Herman and Wichard lost time on the prologue when they stopped to help championship leaders Shameer Variawa and Siegfried Rousseau who were stuck in a donga in the Total Porter.

 

Ironically, Variawa built the SVR being campaigned this season by the Sullwald’s. A persistent misfire also hampered the winners with an errant plug lead at the root of the problem.

 

“The plug lead came loose just before the end of the first loop, and the misfire reappeared about 70 kilometres from the finish,” said Herman. “We thought Kallie and Quintin would catch us, but there was a lot of dust out there and we were maintaining a steady pace.”

 

For Kallie and Quintin it was another good result after their win on the Sun City 400. “It was a great day for family,” said Kallie.

 

“Second does our championship hopes no harm so we are happy.”

 

A third father and son team, Nardus and Louis Alberts, crossed the line third in the Wrapsa BAT with the pair bouncing back after a disastrous Sun City 400 when a driveshaft broke on the start line and the pair covered all of five metres. But more disaster awaited the pair and they were penalised 30 minutes for deviating from the route.

 

That dropped them to 10th overall and seventh in Class A with Jimmy Zahos and Stefan Coetzee elevated to third for their first podium finish in the Cobalt Racing Porter. Steady drives took Nick Harper/Kevin Hume (Atlas Copco BAT) and Brett and Steve Parker (Jimco) into fifth and sixth. Three Class P crews in Archie Rutherford and Jacque le Roux (Regent Racing Jimco), Johan van Staden/James Rossouw (Atlas Copco BAT) and Etienne Lourens and Philip Herselman, in a second Atlas Copco BAT, completed the top eight.

 

The biggest losers on the day were Variawa and Rousseau and prologue winners Colin Matthews and Alan Smith in their first outing in the Century Racing CR3. A gearbox problem handed Variawa/Rousseau their second non finish of the season, with the reliability bogey again sidelining Matthews and Smith who retired early in the race with fuel pressure problems.

 

Rutherford and le Roux, making his national debut, won an interesting Class P tussle by 39 seconds from championship leaders van Staden/Rossouw. It was a great comeback by the Atlas Copco pair who started 28th among the Special Vehicles after a disappointing prologue.

 

There was also an impressive off road debut by former rally champion Lourens. He was walking around with a huge grin after he and Philip Herselman finished less than two minutes off the pace.

 

Veteran Bez Bezuidenhout and daughter-in-law Lindie (Adenco BAT) scored their second successive win to move into the lead in the Class B championship. The pair finished half an hour ahead of brothers Keith and Andrew Makenete, in a Zarco, and took control when Simon Beckett and Steve Harris (Century Racing BAT) retired.
 
TEAM CASTROL TOYOTA CREWS DOMINATE 4X4 MEGA WORLD 400 PROLOGUE PDF Print E-mail
National Off Road News

TEAM CASTROL TOYOTA CREWS DOMINATE 4X4 MEGA WORLD 400 PROLOGUE

 

Team Castrol Toyota Hilux crews Duncan Vos/Rob Howie and Anthony Taylor/Robin Houghton, both without a win this season, today dominated the Donaldson Prologue to determine start positions for tomorrow’s  4x4 Mega World 400 at Carnival City.

 

The event is round five of the Absa Off Road Championship with the factory Toyota team desperate for a win. With only 23 points separating seven teams at the top of the Production Vehicle championship the race is also important from a championship point of view.

 

Vos and Howie came in 33 seconds ahead of Taylor and Houghton with a good battle between the team-mates in the offing. Just under a minute behind the Toyota crews were a rejuvenated Thomas Rundle and Juan Mohr in the Barden Tyres Nissan Navara.

 

Fourth fastest were championship leaders Chris Visser and Japie Badenhorst in the RFS Toyota Hilux with Mike Whitehouse and Mathew Carlson (Regent Racing Nissan Navara), rounding out the top five. Whitehouse and Carlson are the only crew in the premier SP Class with a 100 percent finish record this season.

 

Neither of the factory Toyota crew reported any major problems. Rundle and Mohr, third on the recent Sun City 400, also reported a clean run with confidence high within the team.

 

Visser complained about not being able to find a rhythm, while Whitehouse/Carlson also reported a clean run. There were problems, however, for former South African champions Neil Woolridge and Kenny Skjoldhammer, in the diesel powered Team Ford Ranger, and last year’s winners, Gary Bertholdt and Andre Vermeulen, in the Atlas Copco Toyota Hilux.

 

A gearbox mounting broke on the Ford Ranger while the Atlas Copco Hilux lost front wheel drive, got stuck in a vlei and was being assessed for possible front differential problems. Both crews will start from the back of the field and have mountains to climb.

 

There was also an interesting scenario in Class D where championship leaders Dewald van Breda and Johann du Toit (Northam Toyota Hilux) will also start from the back of the field – while two new cars took first and second on the prologue. Van Breda/du Toit broke a side shaft while Deon Venter (4x4 Mega World Toyota Hilux) and Louis Weichelt and Johan Smalberger (N1 4x4 Toyota Land Cruiser) had encouraging outings in cars being raced for the first time.

 

It was a good day for the 4x4 Mega World team with Pikkie Labuschagne and Rikus Erasmus setting the fastest time in Class E. Second were teenager Lance Woolridge and Ward Huxtable, in the Team Ford Ranger, who currently lead the championship.

 

Class E casualties were brothers Diederik and Danie Hattingh in the Transcor Toyota Hilux who hit a ditch. Danie ended up in hospital for x-rays for lower back injuries and will be replaced in tomorrow’s race by Mike Lawrenson.

 

Tomorrow’s race starts at 8am with race headquarters, the start/finish and the designated service all at the Carnival City complex. Public entry to these areas is free of charge as well as the 19 spectator viewing points along the route.

 2010 4X4 Megaworld 400 - Donaldson Prologue Results
 
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