Sasol’s “Top Gun” rally team for 2004 features Gugu Zulu in Class A5, five privateers in the turbo-charged 4-wheel-drive Class N 4 and the Class A7 BMW of motoring journalist, Steven Mearns. –
– Zulu, who will have Rod Hering as co-driver for this weekend’s season-opening Hitachi Power Tools Tour Natal Rally, campaigns a new Sasol Volkswagen Chico and will be going all out to clinch Class A5, which he narrowly missed in last year’s Sasol SA Rally Championship. –
– Two former FIA African Rally Champions, Fernando Rueda and Schalk Burger Snr, continue to receive Sasol racing product support in their respective N4 Class Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7 and Bridgestone Subaru chargers. –
– Both are potential podium finishers this year, and have the experience of Pierre Arries and Vito Bonafede as co-drivers. Burger will run the latest spec. WRX Sti from Natal, while Rueda hopes to acquire the Evo 8 version of the Lancer later in the championship. –
– The “Rally Chicks”, sisters Lola and Megan Verlaque showed consistency and a number of respectable top 20 overall placings in 2003. With Sasol’s support, they are determined to take on the boys with more verve over the 8 rounds of the series. –
– New to the Sasol-backed teams are Barry Grobbelaar and Mike Burrows, back together in the ex-Mally Saville Subaru WRX, and Visser du Plessis, who has former off road co-driver Johan Smallberger as his regular partner in the Metmeister/Outsurance Subaru WRX Sti RA. –
– With 15 competitors in Class N4, it is bound to be one of the most interesting battles in 2004. –
– Cars In Action journalist, Steve Mearns returns to the rallying fray in the ex-Cliff Blackman A7 BMW. Cirian Nunan will be his guide as the youngster again finds his feet in a car much more powerful than the Tazz he did a few events in in 2002 and 2003. –
– For the inside news on the Sasol “Top Gun” rally team and the Sasol SA Rally Championship 2004 visit www.sasolracing.co.za or call 08-22-33-4321. –
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