The factory Castrol Toyota Hilux team will be chasing an unbeaten record and some unfinished Production Vehicle championship business will be disposed of at the Atlas Copco Gold 450, the final round of the Donaldson Cross Country Championship, on the West Rand on October 30 and 31.
The overall and premier Class T championship, for cars above four litres with independent rear suspension, are done and dusted with Castrol Toyota pair Leeroy Poulter and Rob Howie relegating team-mates Anthony Taylor and Dennis Murphy to former champion status. Between them the two crews have won every qualifying event and race to date and an unbeaten record throughout the season is the final accolade up for grabs.
The unfinished championship business revolves around Class S for vehicles up to four litres with solid axle rear suspension. Here the battle is between two crews and, with just six points separating them, is a far tighter proposition than the Class T title chase.
To complete the cycle Toyota have won the SA Manufacturers Championship by the proverbial country mile, and given their record throughout this Donaldson campaign the two Castrol Toyota Hilux crews will go into the Atlas Copco event as overwhelming favourites. There are, however, a couple of factors that contribute to maintaining high interest levels as the season runs its course.
The Castrol Toyota quest to maintain an unbeaten record is, of course, one of them. But a number of teams – notably the works Ford Performance squad – will be looking for redemption after a disappointing season, and there are close battles among privateer teams for bragging rights.
For former champions Chris Visser and Japie Badenhorst and Lance Woolridge and Ward Huxtable, in the Ford Performance Ranger entries, pride is at stake. The two works crews have been outscored this season by Woolridge’s younger brother Gareth and Boyd Dreyer, in a privately entered Neil Woolridge Motorsport Ford Ranger, who have had a standout maiden season at national championship level.
The younger Woolridge and Boyd have a mathematical say in the battle for privateer bragging rights, but this scrap revolves around a close fight between brothers Johan and Werner Horn (Malalane Toyota Hilux) and Jason Venter/Vince van Allemann (4×4 Mega World Toyota Hilux) with Johan van Staden and Mike Lawrenson (Regent Racing Nissan Navara) in a position to slip in via the back door.
The Horns and Venter/van Allemann are separated by just five points, with van Staden and Lawrenson a further 13 points in arrears and their supporters are in for an anxious weekend. There is not much to choose between the trio with the Horns and Venter/van Allemann on the podium in their last two outings, while van Staden/Lawrenson have been models of consistency with a 100 percent finish record this season.
Other crews to keep an eye on are Australian pair John Purshouse and Murray Hynes (Ford Ranger), Christian du Plooy/Henk Janse van Vuuren (RFS VW Amarok), Terence Marsh/Leanne Manas (Regent Racing Nissan Navara) and Sean Reitz/Riaan Greyling in a second Regent Racing Navara. The Aussies will be looking to end a short Donaldson campaign with a good result, the same applies to du Plooy/Janse van Vuuren who give the new Amarok its second outing, the glamorous Manas is co-anchor of the Morning Live show on SABC 2 and is competing in the Imperial Auto Celebrity Challenge with Reitz/Greyling taking the opportunity to give the Nissan a final Dakar Rally shake down.
Hennie de Klerk and Johann Smalberger (RFS/Treasury One BMW X3) have not had the best of seasons and would also like to go out on a high note. Inconsistency has been a problem for the pair, while Dewald and Anton Nienaber (Nienaber Vervoer Toyota Hilux) will be after their first finish of the season.
And so to the battle in Class S. Six points separate North West pair Heine Strumpher and Henri Hugo (4×4 Mega World Toyota Hilux) and Portuguese pair Rómulo Branco and João Serôdio, in the Regent Racing Nissan Navara, in what will be a head to head clash with one or two other crews poised to muddy the waters.
With the likes of Deon Venter/Jaco van Aardt (4×4 Mega World Toyota Hilux) suffering from reliability maladies throughout the season, Strumpher/Hugo and the Portuguese pair have been the dominant crews. This time out reigning champions Jannie Visser and Joks le Roux (Toyota Hilux) make a rare appearance and immediately figure among the pre race favourites.
The North West pair, along with Luke Botha and Andre Vermeulen, in a second Regent Racing Nissan Navara, and Marius/Jolinda Fourie (PHB Toyota Hilux) could play a role in the championship fight. A competitive field also includes Etienne Nienaber and Gabriel de Wet in another Nienaber Vervoer Toyota Hilux.
In the championship context the brief for Botha/Vermeulen will be simple – finish ahead of Strumpher and Hugo. But for the Portuguese pair a sobering thought is the fact that the difference between winning and losing the championship could be a service park indiscretion on the Vryburg Endurance last time out.
It earned them a 30 minute penalty, dropped them to second in the race and allowed Strumpher/Hugo to go into the final event with a precious points cushion. An anxious weekend also awaits supporters of these two crews.
Race headquarters/the start/finish and the designated service park will all be located at the Kloof Country Club in Glenharvie. Public entrance to these areas and spectator viewing points along the route is free of charge, and spectator guides will be available at race headquarters.
The qualifying event on October 30 to determine race grid positions will start at 11:30, and the race at 07:00 the following day.