Total Rally South Africa leaders Serge Damseaux and Robert Paisley (Castrol Toyota RunX RSi) are coming under pressure as the event heads for the overnight stop at Badplaas.
The reigning SA Rally Champions have a one second lead over Ettiene Lourens and Andre Vermeulen in the Total Toyota RunX RSi who have been on a charge since the Ermelo regroup and took seven seconds off Damseaux on Special Stage 7.
Jannie Habig and Douglas Judd are third overall in the Volkswagen Polo S2000 and trail the leaders by 25-seconds while the Special Stage winners Nicholas Ryan and Schalk van Heerden (Subaru Impreza WRX STi) are provisionally fourth overall and the Class N4 leaders.
Hergen Fekken and Pierre Arries (Volkswagen Golf) are fifth overall and the Class A7 leaders and are six seconds ahead of arch rivals JP Damseaux and Cobus Frey in the Total Toyota RunX RSi and a further 25-seconds ahead of Charl Wilken and Robin Houghton in the Castrol Toyota RunX RSi.
The latest provisional times from Special Stage 8 have Damseaux and Paisley once again in command after they finished one second ahead of Lourens and Vermeulen and 18-seconds ahead of Zimbabwean star Conrad Rautenbach and Peter Marsh in the Subaru Impreza.
Crews face another three dry and dusty Special Stages today before they can grab some well earned rest for tomorrow’s final leg of seven Special Stages.
