The young 21-year old Ernie van der Walt, and his new navigator, Greg Godrich, driving the ex-Giniel de Villiers Toyota Imperial Toyota Yaris, was a comfortable winner of the Hallspeed SCC regional rally. It was van der Walt’s first outing in the S2000 Yaris that he acquired from de Villiers recently.
The pair won all seven stages of the event and came home by a margin of 2 minutes 30 seconds. Van der Walt, who studies at the Noordwes university in Potchefstroom, used the event to get to grips with the new car. He has been a regular competitor in the S1600 class of the national championship.
He had to get to grips with the extra power of the S2000 Toyota Yaris as well as getting used to the way his navigator, Godrich, called the notes.
After the4 event Van der Walt said: “the Yaris is unbelievable. The extra power it produces and the speed at which it accelerates is phenomenal, also, the traction of the four wheel drive system makes this car a pleasure to drive. I cant waite for the Sasol rally..”
“Ernie drove very well considering he only tested for about twelve kilometres prior to the event. His braking points need some work but he really impressed me on the fast stuff” Godrich said.” He adapted very nicely to a vastly different rally car he is accustomed too and I look forward to the rest of the year” he continued.
Van der Walt has been in motorsport since the tender age of eleven, competing in go-cart and circuit racing locally and abroad before changing to special stage rallying in 2010.
The team will use the remaining seven national rallies of the year to learn as much as possible about the car and about the driver nav combo so as to give the team the best possible chance for the future.
The Vectro sponsored vehicle will be prepared by JEM motorsport for the remainder of the year.