Serge Damseaux and Robert Paisley won the Subaru Cape Rally, the penultimate round of the Sasol dualfuel™ SA Rally Championship in the Western Cape on Saturday (20 September), from the two Sasol dualfuel™ Golfs of Enzo Kuun and Jan Habig. –
– The Team Castrol Toyota RunX RSi pairing were 4th at the end of the first day, but challenged for the lead from the start of the second day’s action climbing to second place behind the overnight leader, the class N4 Motion Motorsport Sasol dualfuel™ Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7 of Fernando Rueda/Pierre Arries. –
– Rueda/Arries maintained their lead until stage 7, when the Cape Town-based Spaniard aquaplaned on standing water and hit a pole which destroyed the right rear suspension and door as well as the boot, and forced them out of the ten stage event. –
– Johnny Gemmell and Greg Godrich made an inspired tyre choice for their L&J Plant Services Subaru Impreza WRX Sti, as rain fell shortly before the start of stage 7. Gemmell took a massive 22 seconds off Damseaux and claimed an 11 second overall lead before retiring in the penultimate stage with a blown turbo. –
– Second overall was the factory-entered Sasol dualfuel™ Volkswagen Golf of Enzo Kuun/Guy Hodgson after a flat out blast through the wheat fields of the Swartland. They beat their Sasol Golf teammates, current champions Jannie Habig/Douglas Judd, by 16 seconds. Habig complained of a down on power engine on the first day. –
– Etienne Lourens and Andre Vermeulen claimed class A7 and 4th place overall in their Team Total Toyota Corolla RSi. Lourens was at a loss as to why they were off the pace, for they have run at the top class pace all year. –
– A troubled event for Hergen Fekken and Dave Lewkowicz (Sasol dualfuel™ Volkswagen Polo Playa) ultimately netted 5th overall. Twice they suffered from water-induced misfires, hit a pole in stage 1 and broke a driveshaft in stage 6. –
– Nicholas Ryan and Brian Carrihill (ABC Motors Subaru Impreza GT) won the Production Car category, narrowly beating the similar Impreza of Rob du Preez/Richard Gerntholtz, the gap just 3 seconds. They ended 6th and 7th overall, respectively. –
– Jose Ferreira/Miguel da Costa (Italian Panelbeaters Subaru Impreza GT) ended 8th, 26 seconds ahead of the class N3 champions for 2003, Charl Wilken/Robin Houghton (Team Castrol Toyota RunX RSi), who again won their class. –
– Rounding out the top 10 was the Hencom Panelbeaters Subaru Impreza GT of Rocky Reyneke/Andre Pheiffer after a clean run. –
– Class A6 again fell to Craig Trott/Gerhard Snyman (Team Total Toyota Corolla RSi), while Gugu Zulu/Dave McGregor claimed class A5 in their Sasol dualfuel™ Volkswagen Chico, out-driving their more experienced opposition, Rodney Visagie/Carolyn Swan (Team Total Toyota Tazz). –
– Capetonians Richard Behm/Grant St Clair (Palbin Toyota Corolla RSi) won class N2 from Dean Sanders/Rod Hering in a similar Team Total Corolla. Class N1 was won by Vusi Mabanga/Patrick Yende in their Team Total Sowetan Toyota Tazz. –
– Other leading retirements included Schalk Burger/Vito Bonafede (Bridgestone Sasol Subaru Impreza WRX Sti), who retired while fighting for a podium position with a broken gearbox in stage 9 and Leon Botha/Richard Clark (Pretoria Subaru Impreza WRX) with a holed radiator. –
– The Subaru Cape Rally will be broadcast on Topcar on Supersport on Saturday, 27 September at 11h00 with further highlights on “Sasolrallyscene” on SABC3 at 09h00, directly after the USA F1 qualifying session broadcast. –
– Results and images from the Subaru Cape Rally are available from www.subarucaperally.co.za. –
– For further information on the Sasol dualfuelä S.A. Rally Championship log on to www.sasolrallyscene.co.za or call 08 22 33 4321. –
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