The Sasol Volkswagen Rally Team has it all to do when the Volkswagen Rally takes place in and around Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape next weekend (July 18 – 19th). Golf crew Enzo Kuun and Guy Hodgson are on a high after winning the Sasol Rally last month, while Jan Habig and Douglas Judd in another Sasol DualFuel Volkswagen Golf are looking to revive their fortunes after they retired at the same contest. –
– The Volkswagen Rally will only consist of 15 stages, none of them too long, which will make for a close and exciting contest in line with what has been on show so far this season. Uppermost in their minds will be Serge Damseaux in his Castrol Toyota RunX, the current championship leader. Like Habig he did not go far at the Sasol, retiring before the car had even heated up and he is looking to make amends for his misfortune. –
– Throwing a spanner in the works is the revival of Hergen Fekken in his Class A7 Sasol DualFuel Volkswagen Polo Playa, which has shaken its engine problems and is extremely competitive. He was looking good for second place overall at last month’s Sasol Rally but also had to retire on the penultimate stage. With reliability now much improved, Hergen could surprise many and win if any of the traditional front runners make even the slightest mistake. The Pretoria resident has been known to give the more powerful Class A8 contenders a hiding on the tighter, especially tarmac stages of which there are quite a few at this event. The same is true for teammate Tjaart van der Walt who is driving a Polo Playa similar to Fekken’s. Also from Pretoria, van der Walt can be one of the dark horses if his car comes good, as he has struggled with reliability this season. Etienne Lourens in the Team Total Toyota Corolla is unlikely to let the pair get away though, as he has shown tremendous pace and consistency throughout the season. –
– Eastern Cape rally fans are however looking to Volkswagen to repeat the performance of last year, when Kuun left all in his wake to score a memorable win at his team’s own sponsored event. Habig, who was also looking extremely good then will be a force to be reckoned with as he needs to do something fast to defend his championship. Failure at Volkswagen Rally could effectively put an end to his challenge, and the Natalian is not known for ignoring tough challenges. A herculean effort is more likely than capitulation. “It’s very simple, we have to win and do so convincingly. Nothing beats winning your home event, and no effort will be spared to achieve that goal. We have always competed like that and this time will be no different. Maybe we need just a little dose of luck, but then again everyone makes their own luck”, said Habig. –
– Kuun, who has teamed up with the experienced Guy Hodgson as his navigator is sounding confident. “We had a very good run at the Sasol Rally, and we want to keep that momentum going. The engines have been very strong, which leaves the ball in the drivers’ court. This of course is the challenge we can’t wait to take up. We delivered the goods last year and there is very little reason why we cannot do the same this year. Serge will be a threat but so will be everyone else who has been doing well this year. We will just run our own rally and concentrate on our own strategy,” added Kuun. –
– Dredlocked Gugulethu Zulu is aiming for his third straight win after winning at the Sasol and Cape rallies in his Sasol DualFuel Volkswagen Junior Team Class A5 Citi Golf. Navigator Dave McGregor will once again be at his side to lend his experience to the fast-learning youngster. Teammates in the same class Nkosinathi Nzimande and Fani Meyiwa will also come into the reckoning in the class. They must be among the most consistent crews in the championship, with solid performances characterising their two years in the championship, now sponsored by Sasol DualFuel. –
– Volkswagen’s most successful duo however has to be Johannesburg’s Brian and Keith Heine in a standard Citi Golf, now also running exclusively on Sasol DualFuel. They have won six rallies on the trot, and it’s highly unlikely their victory march will come to an end. Blending experience and driving skill, they are often too much of a challenge for the young brigade that is usually found in this class. The Citi Golf also has a telling power-weight advantage over its competitors, which puts the pair on a superior footing, a position they always capitalise on. –
– The Volkswagen Rally starts on Friday 18th July at Port Elizabeth’s Kings Beach and ends at the same venue on Saturday 19th July at 16h30. –
– For photographic go to: www.motorpics.co.za-
– For all the latest news on the Sasol Volkswagen Rally Team go to: www.sasolmotorsport.co.za, www.cartoday.com or www.vw.co.za-
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