The Ford Performance Ford Fiesta S2000 crew of Mark Cronje/Robin Houghton have continued where they left off yesterday on the Natal Rally around Scotburgh. With five stages to be completed today, Cronje has set the pace on the first two this morning and has doubled his lead over the second places Team Castrol Toyota Yaris of the current 2014 champion, Leeroy Poulter.
Cronje was leading the rally after eight stages with a total time of 1:20:45.5. He was 42.0 seconds ahead of Poulter after the end of stage eight.
In third was Henk Lategan/Barry White in a Sasolracing Volkswagen Polo 49.4 seconds behind Cronje. Giniel de Villiers/Carolyn Swan in the second Team Castrol Toyota Yaris was fourth overall trailing Cronje by 1:36.1.
Gugu Zulu/Pierre Arries in another Sasolracing Volkswagen Polo was next 2:58.0 behind with the NAD Ford Fiesta of Japie van Niekerk sixth 3:33.6 off the lead.
Seventh overall was the S1600 Ford Fiesta R2 of Ashley Haigh-Smith who had taken over the lead this morning after starting third in the class. He was leading the class with a total time of 1:29:48.1. In second place was Paulus Franken in a Volkswagen Polo 51.4 behind the leader in
the class, followed by Matthew Vace Lyle in a Toyota Etios R2 1:30.8 behind Haigh-Smith.
The current S1600 champion and overnight leader, Guy Botterill, in another Toyota Etios R2 has dropped to fourth in the class 1:47.9 behind the leader.
It is not known if he had a problem.
The event is being run over 11 stages with a total stage distace of 178 km. There are three stages to go before the finish in Scottburgh this afternoon.
The Natal Rally is the first round of the SA National Rally Championship.