Overall victory in the Production Vehicle category and the Super Production Class honours gave Vos, a former South African drivers champion, and Pitchford, the reigning co-drivers champion, their first success of the season in the Nissan Navara. It was, however, the factory Proudly South African Nissan team’s third win this season with the Vos/Pitchford entry coming home seven minutes ahead of the factory Ford Racing Ranger of former South African champions Neil Woolridge and Kenny Skjoldhammer.
“I needed that win – big time,” said a delighted Vos. “We haven’t had much luck so far this season, but it all came together today.
“It was a really tough route and hard work, but the vehicle was great and we had a clean run.”
For their part, Woolridge and Skjoldhammer were two and a half minutes ahead of Mark Corbett and Juan Mohr, in the Century Property Development Nissan Navara, after an impressive display first time out in the vehicle. The pair were in second place until five or six kilometers from the finish when they picked up a puncture and were passed by the Ford crew.
For the frontrunners matters were made a little easier with the demise of current championship leaders Hannes Grobler and Francois Jordaan, in a second Proudly South African Nissan Navara, and Castrol Toyota Hilux crews Bevan Bertholdt and Robin Houghton and Mark Cronje and Chris Birkin. All three went out with front suspension maladies, and the three retirements took the pressure off Vos/Pitchford and Woolridge Skjoldhammer.
Fourth overall and Class E winners were KwaZulu-Natal crew Manfred Schroder and Ward Huxtable in the works diesel Ford Racing Ranger. It was an impressive performance by the pair who came in two minutes ahead of Class D winners Chris Visser and Japie Badenhorst, in the Tyco Trucks Toyota Hilux, who completed the top five placings.
Second in Class D went to former Class E champions Jaap and Hugo de Bruyn in the Castrol Toyota Hilux. In a close finish the de Bruyns were only 55 seconds behind the reigning Class E champions, with Cliff and Louis Weichelt third in the Bosal Toyota Hilux.
The gap between Schroder/Huxtable and Jannie Visser and Joks le Roux, in a Toyota Hilux, in Class E was a sizeable five minutes. There was a whopping 30 minutes plus between Visser/le Roux and third placed Fabio Tafani and Mike Baron in the Club Refrigeration Toyota Hilux.
