It was back to business for Guy Botterill and Simon Vacy-Lyle (Yato Tools Toyota Etios) in the sixth round of the South African S1600 National Rally Championship in the Western Cape this afternoon after an uncharacteristic stutter in the previous round in Gauteng in August.
After winning the first four rounds they ran into their first real problems of a dream season in the Imperial Toyota Cullinan Rally and scored just five points after being classified among the finishers under Super Rally rules. Today they bounced back in the most dominant fashion, taking their fifth victory of the season in the Toyota Cape Dealer Rally after winning eight of the 12 special stages – four on Friday and four today – and extended their lead in the championship.
They led from start to finish, reaching Friday’s overnight stop at Brackenfell near Cape Town with a useful lead of 28 seconds over Ashley Haigh-Smith and Damian van Ass (Castrol Ford Fiesta R2) and 34 seconds in front of Ernie van der Walt and James Aldridge in a Ferodo Ford Fiesta R2.
Second, in a rally of ever-changing fortunes in the battle for the minor placings, were Paulus Franken and Henry Kohne (Manitou Group VW Polo), who had been fifth at the halfway mark. It was their best result of the season so far and they were 2 min 59 sec behind the winners.
Chris Coertse and 16-year-old Mari van der Walt, the youngest competitor in national championship rallying, scored their best result of the season with third place, 49 seconds adrift of Franken and Kohne, in their Electrothread Toyota Etios R2. Andrew Heine and former S1600 champion co-driver Robbie Coetzee (VW Polo R2) continued their good form, which has seen them rise to fifth in the S1600 championship, to finish fourth.
Matthew Vacy-Lyle, brother of Simon, and Schalk van Heerden (Fragram Tools Toyota Etios R2) were fifth, ahead of Haigh-Smith and Van Ass, who experienced engine problems on the Castrol Ford on stage 10 while lying second and were classified as finishers under Super Rally rules. Seventh were AC Potgieter and Tommy du Toit (VW Polo), 19 min 14 sec behind the winners.
Van der Walt and Aldridge, after their fine Friday performance, drowned the engine of the Ferodo Fiesta in deep water on stage eight while lying a comfortable third behind Botterill and Haigh-Smith. They received half points for eighth place under Super Rally rules.
Marko Himmel, brother of Thilo, and Francois Schoonbee (VW Polo), who had been fourth overnight, were non-finishers after hitting problems on the opening stage today.
Chad van Beurden and Nico Swartz (Beurden Construction) were notable retirements on day one after only managing to complete a slow opening lap before problems ruled them out of the rest of the event. They had been expected to be the most likely to take the fight to the Botterill/Vacy-Lyle duo after their maiden win in the Imperial Toyota Cullinan Rally last month, which saw them establish themselves in second place in the championship, 24 points behind Botterill and Vacy-Lyle. Unofficial scoring shows that they retain this position despite scoring no points this time around.
The next round of the championship is the Polokwane Motor Rally in Limpopo on October 17 and 18.