This has always been one of my favourite rallies – firstly because of the magic stages, where even heavy rain do not influence things too much, but dry weather or traction on the roads always created a high-speed spectacle of note.
Except for my own adventures on these roads and especially a rally where I participated in a Subaru in 2002, where two incidents will forever be imprinted in my mind – the flash I remember after that was when Leeroy Poulter came around the second last corner of a stage – a corner that must have been a long left seven or so – tightens.
This was about four or so years ago and it was wet, slippery and somewhat dangerous but Leeroy Poulter was apparently oblivious of these factors. When that Toyota burst onto the scene I knew that I was going to regret not running my video for the best YouTube clip ever! There was simply no way he was going to make that corner.
He did not!
There was a two or so meters gap between the real road and some ready for the picking pine trees. The Toyota ate up that gap like my Neopolitan Mastiff does with a slice of bread. Now it was tree-picking-time – I thought.
The Toyota pulled its right-side in, its grille was as skew as a Sandton kugel’s mouth telling a story to someone on her right about the other kugel sitting on her left.
I could not believe it when I saw that potential wreck come away from that tree without a scratch and I believe Poulter still posted top three times with a right rear flat, which was the cause of the close shave.
This weekend the same driver in a much improved and more developed car since then, will again fight for the title of KING OF LONGMORE or whatever the crown will be.
This is Volkswagen’s own event right on their doorstep – but they have not been able to do a hell of a lot about it over the past few years.
Hergen Fekken will lead their attack with Gugu Zulu who is enjoying a fairly good year, on his heels.
Hergen will simply have to put in the run of his life and hope all keeps together. The Volkswagen Rally has not got too many narrow sharp corners so Hergen will not have too many worries about turning too sharp through gates and narrow gaps, which in my opinion has been his only weakness.
If Fekken manages to keep an open head and focusses on the job, especially in the long 42km stage – this may just be the event and opportunity Volkswagen has been waiting for to save face.
Gugu Zulu held the Volkswagen flag as high as he could so far this year and he has been doing exceptionally well under the circumstance. I do expect another good performance from him and another podium will not be a surprise.
Lategan on the other hand cannot be seen as a great threat – not based on his form over the past two seasons and although I hope he does well – I will be very surprised if he does.
Thilo Himmel did quite well in Bela Bela and missed his first podium right at the end. This event however may suit the young and the brave and he may just pull a hell of a surprise. Unfortunately I have no idea how his car compares to that of the other three.
The fight will however be coming from the real heavy weight in South African rallying – the Ford Fiesta of Mark Cronje and Robin Houghton. Mark knocked the ball after almost dropping it on the previous event in Bela-Bela – a rally that came and went quietly – but he managed to still finish second overall despite having many problems.
Port Elizabeth’s forests offer some serious rally roads and there are many drops next to long sections of road, which scrambles the order of the rally routine a bit every year.
Those who do well on the “point and squirt” shit they get in some rallies, seem to be very aware of the fact that they may just get hurt if they fall off the road on this event. The high-speeds reached on this event are also intimidating and it is neither strange not rare to see the tempo of some drivers dropping off after a few stages.
This however is Cronje food but Poulter has never shown much respect for the few metres between him and mercurochrome. The added torque to the Toyota’s – so I hear – will not do them as much good as it did on the sandier sections in Warmbaths – but it will still come in handy in the loose uphill stuff – the Ford will once again have its work cut out to stay ahead – if it manages to get there in the first place.
One has to admit that Glyn Hall has done an excellent job in developing the Toyota rally cars despite his heavy Dakar program. I expressed my opinion the other day that he may just as well have been appointed to run the Toyota WRC team – but a few guys did not agree. I still believe that he would have done a great job.
Japie van Niekerk in a semi-supporting role in his Ford will not be content with anything less than either following Mark or even beating him – so his performance will as usual be an interesting one to watch.
After mentioning a few times earlier that Giniel did not really believe a word his navigator says, but that the two pass recce that has been introduced would change that somewhat – he has truly shown a respectful increase in pace. Giniel has one overall win under the belt and it will not surprise me to much if he pulls off another surprise on this event. The top order will be hectic and there will not be too much space for error – so a slight slip and things can change dramatically for both Cronje and Poulter.
To find a winner for this event is on the one hand as easy as pie and not that easy on the other.
Things almost became too one-sided this year so far and despite my prediction that Mark Cronje will win the championship this year – the prediction was almost too accurate.
Rallying is not a one-sided affair – well not often, but it almost became that when Cronje simply ran away from the rest on the first three rallies of the year but then Poulter managed to reel him in a bit on the Bela Bela rally.
The Volkswagen Rally has been designed for the Ford and it will take some serious driving to upset the Cronje and Houghton’s applecart.
On the other hand I have a funny feeling that we may have our third different winner for this year after the Volkswagen Rally, but then modern technology often makes a mockery of “feelings” these days.
There is no doubt in my mind that the Toyotas can keep up with the Ford but what about the Volkswagens? Have they actually proved anything over the past few years?
Not as far as I am concerned. If I have to be honest, never seen such a non-stop pathetic performance and goodness knows when this will turn around.
The law of average simply has to start interfering in this team – Gugu was the exception to the rule and he did as good as it comes – but Volkswagen needs a win and this is the rally to do it on.
Ernie van der Walt will be driving a Yaris S2000 and Piet Bakkes will be the lonely entry in class NRC4.
In the S1600 class it seems if the incredible pace and determination to dominate the class of Guy Botterill is simply too much for the rest. The very promising Chad van Beurden has so far not placed the same pressure on the class leader than he did last year. I had no doubt that we were going to see a ding-dong battle between these two for the whole year, but little came of that.
Paul Franken did improve dramatically over the past two seasons and he is consistent in being a nuisance to the leaders whenever he is given half a chance.
The interesting entry is the Ford driven by Tjaart Conradie. I am standing with a handful of notes to place on him for a podium position if he manages to drive at the pace he showed when he left the scene quite a bit back.
Ashley Haigh-Smith? Well I simply do not know what to say any more than that I think the problem there simply is the preparation of the car.
AC Potgieter has also improved quite a bit and may start seeing some rather good results from him.
Leeke seems to have upped his pace and in what arguably is one of the best cars on the scene he has to start pecking at the top one of these days. He is however still very young and with the right guidance he may just be one of the new guys on the block.
The rally starts tomorrow Friday 17th July 2015 at 12h24 when the first car will enter the Motherwell stage at Jachtvlakte when the fun will truly begin.
My money is on the Ford for a win – but my hand is shaking a bit as I hand over my bid to the Bookie behind the bulletproof window!