The young South African rally star, Henk Lategan, achieved his best result yet in an European rally when he was placed second overall on the Rally Weiz, the fifth round of the Belgium Rally Championship. The event was won by the Belgian Rally Champion, Raimund Baumsclager.
Lategan said after the event it was the most difficult event he competed in. On the first day it was very hot and he finished the day fourth overall in a BRR Skoda Fabia. The car that Lategan uses for his overseas excursions is prepared for him by Baumschlager. With his win Baumschlager won his 12th Belgian Rally Championship and became the most successful rally driver driver, in Belgian motorsport history.
Lategan said the last day was the most difficult. Lying fourth On stage 14 he went off the road and lost 1:50seconds and then had a puncture that cost him another 30 seconds. It was on this stage that the leader of the rally, Hermann Neubauer in a Ford Fiesta S2000, left the road and Lategan was also able to pass the third placed Mario Sabel in a Skoda Fabia to take second behind Baumschlager. He then went on and won stage 15. It was his first stage win on a European event.
And then the rain came. “It was not just rain, it was a very heavy thunderstorm. When we saw it coming we decided to go onto wets, while the rest stayed on dry tyres. It was very difficult to drive the last stage. It was water everywhere and you were aquaplaning all over the place and it was also difficult to see the road”, the youngster said.
But he kept his head on the last, the 16th stage, and finished second behind the winner Baumschlager. The event consisted of 16 stages and was 212km long.
His second on the rally is his best effort so far in Europe. He previous best was on the Rally Veszperm in Hungary where he finished 3rd overall. He has competed in six events in Europe wit two podiums and four top ten finishes.