BAT Racing pair Gary Bertholdt and Brandon Harcus broke Nissan Motorsport’s stranglehold in the Toyota Dealer 400 Prologue when they out-qualified SA Off Road Production Vehicle Championship…presented by Absa leaders Hannes Grobler and Richard Leeke (Proudly South African Nissan Hardbody) by 31 seconds.
Nissan’s have won every Prologue this season and, despite the fact that the championship comprises two separate championships, namely the Special and Production Vehicle championship, the Special Vehicle brigade has been hell bent on upstaging the manufacturer teams.
The fact that the Bertholdt/Harcus Adrenalise Corporate Entertainment BAT is powered by a 3,5 litre V6 Nissan engine was an added bonus for the marque.
Duncan Vos and Mike Griffith qualified third fastest in the Proudly South African Nissan Hardbody and were followed ten seconds latter by Neil Woolridge and Ken Skjoldhammer in the Team Ford Racing Ranger.
Fifth, a further 20 seconds adrift, were Mark Corbett and Juan Mohr in the Century Property Developments BAT who were followed by Apie Reyneke and Robin Houghton in the Castrol Toyota Land Cruiser.
Newcomers to Class A Clint Gibson and Mike Brown set up the seventh fastest time in the Praesidium Financial Services BAT, which was driven by Belgian Gregoire de Mevius in the Sun City 400.
GBS Nissan Racing crew Coetzee Labuschagne and Johan Gerber were neighth overall and the leading Class D qualifiers and were followed by Class E championship leaders Mark Cronje and Chris Birkin in the Castrol Toyota Hilux 2700i.
Arnold du Plessis and George Baker rounded out the top ten in the Class D BB Auto Nissan Hardbody.
Andrew Birkin was 12th and the leading Class B qualifier in the WPP Wingfoot.
Class A championship leaders and overall Special Vehicle Championship contenders Gerald Mundell and Billy Bond rolled their Prolong BAT but were able to continue and will start 24th in the main event.
John Moore was admitted to hospital with suspected head injuries after he and Fred Werner rolled the Shell Connix Chenowth at high speed during the 35km Prologue, but was later discharged.
The Toyota Dealer 400 starts from Lydenburg Toyota at 07:30 in the morning with crews faced with a demanding 120km section to Badfontein followed by two laps of a 120km loop in the Kwena Basin. The first vehicle is expected at the finish at approximately 13:30.
