Overnight leaders on the Total Rally South Africa, Serge Damseaux and Robert Paisley (Castrol Toyota RunX RSi), continued their dominance of the event when battle resumed in Badplaas this morning.
The reigning SA Rally Champions won the 13.11km Special Stage 12 and were followed 15-seconds later by Jannie Habig and Douglas Judd in the Class S200 VW Polo. Zimbabweans Conrad Rautenbach and Peter Marsh (Subaru WRX STi) were third, two seconds slower than the VW pair.
Japie van Niekerk and Greg Godrich (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8) were fourth with Class A7 contenders Charl Wilken and Robin Houghton fifth in the Castrol Toyota RunX RSi. The pair took 2m 07s off Hergen Fekken and Pierre Arries when the VW Golf crew went off the road.
The 29.75km Special Stage 13 saw Habig and Judd move back into contention with a winning time of 21m 11s. They were followed seven seconds later by Rautenbach and Marsh with Damseaux and Paisley a further six seconds behind.
Fekken and Arries posted a time of 21m 35s while van Niekerk and Godrich were fifth fastest with a time of 22m 04s. Wilken and Houghton experienced brake problems and could only manage a time of 22m 37s.
The unofficial overall standings after Special Stage 13 are:
1. Serge Damseaux / Robert Paisley (Castrol Toyota RunX RSi) 1:22:13
2. Jannie Habig / Douglas Judd (VW Polo) 1:24:03
3. Conrad Rautenbach / Peter Marsh (Subaru) 1:25:11
4. Hergen Fekken / Pierre Arries (VW Golf) 1:27:56
5. Japie van Niekerk / Greg Godrich (Mitsubishi) 1:28:09
6. Charl Wilken / Robin Houghton (Castrol Toyota RunX RSi)
Ettienne Lourens and Andre Vermeulen (Total Toyota RunX RSi) and Richard Behm and Grant St. Clair (Mitsubishi) are out of the event after incurring penalties for lateness.
