It is going to be an interesting tussle between the top competitors on day two of the Polokwane Rally. Leading the rally, the final round of the SA National Rally Championship, at the end of the first day’s stages, was Giniel de Villiers in the Team Castrol, with an overall time for the three stages that were run of 23:01.2.
The first stage of the rally was cancelled this morning since it was deemed not to be suitable for the competitors to rally on. Mark Cronje in the Ford Performance Ford Fiesta was the first car on the road and it was expected that sweeping the road in the thick dust would have a negative effect on his times.
It did not quite work out that way and at the end of the day he was third overall 8.8 seconds behind de Villiers. Second was Henk Lategan in a Sasolracing Volkswagen Polo 8.1 seconds behind.
Leeroy Poulter in the Team Castrol Toyota Yaris, whi is chasing Cronje in an effeort to retain his SA Drivers title, was 4th 24.6 behind the leader.
Tomorrow’s five long stages will see a major battle between the top four. Cronje only has to finish third or higher to win the SA Drivers championship, while Poulter will have to win the event outright.
The rest of the top ten after day one is:
Himmel +34.5
Zulu +49.7
Fekken +49.7
Joubert +1:51.8
v.d. Walt +2:22.0
M Himmel +2:45
The top ten in the S1600 class are:
M Himmel 25:47.1
Botterill +.6
Leeke +6.0
Haigh Smith +17.5
Franken +28.3
Potgieter +33.4
Heinie +49.5
Vacy Lyle +52.2
The rally restarts at 07:30 tomorrow morning and finishes in Polokwane in the afternoon when we will know who the 2015 S2000 and S1600 champions will be.