The two crews also represent experience versus youth and factory team against privateer scenarios. But that just increases interest in a battle that has raged all season between Chris Visser/Ward Huxtable (Neil Woolridge Motorsport/Ford Performance Ranger) and Jason Venter/Vince van Allemann in the 4×4 Mega World Toyota Hilux.
The two other titles up for grabs in the Production Vehicle category have been settled. Leeroy Poulter/Rob Howie in the Toyota Gazzo Racing SA Toyota Hilux, competing in the FIA Class clinched the overall championship with two events to run, and Otto Graven/Bobby Brewis has wrapped up the Class S championship in the Graven Motorsport Toyota Hilux.
There is, of course, another issue in the Production Vehicle category which will capture attention. The Toyota Gazoo Racing SA team are defending an unbeaten run over two seasons, with former champions Anthony Taylor/Dennis Murphy and Conrad Rautenbach/Howie saddled with the responsibility of getting the Toyota squad across the line in both the qualifying race and main event.
Zimbabwean Rautenbach again deputises for Poulter while he recovers from surgery, and the Toyota team will again take the opportunity for Dakar Rally winners Giniel de Villiers and Dirk von Zitzewitz to test the new two-wheel drive Toyota Evo. De Villiers and von Zitzewitz won’t be eligible to score points, and FIA Class opposition to the two Toyota entries will come from Terence Marsh (Red-Lined Nissan Navara) and Pieter Swanepoel, the manager of a DisChem pharmacy in Benoni.
Swanepoel won a social media competition run by the Donaldson Cross Country Championship in association with Nissan SA and Red-Lined Motorsport which attracted huge interest. The campaign only ran for a week but there were more than 60 000 views of competition videos, and Marsh and his team sifted through hundreds of entries.
The consistently steady Johan van Staden and Mike Lawrenson (Red-Lined Nissan Navara) could throw a spanner in the works, and Woolridge/Dreyer also face threats from Johan and Werner Horn (Malalane Toyota Hilux) and Luke Botha/Andre Vermeulen in another Red-Lined Nissan Navara. The supporting cast have all had their moments but the bottom line is to the victors go the spoils, and whoever finishes in front in the battle between Visser/Huxtable and Venter/van Allemann will win the sought after championship.
Gary Bertholdt and Philip Herselman (Atlas Copco VW Amarok) would love to come up with a good result on their own event, with Hennie de Klerk and Adriaan Roets (Atlas Copco Treasury One VW Amarok) having their second outing in a car that previously ran in RFS colours. Both the Amaroks have shown flashes of potential and have the ability to ruffle a few feathers.
Deon Venter and Jaco van Aardt (4×4 Mega World Toyota Hilux) could also play a supporting role in the fight at the top of the championship. They will give a new car its second outing, but Venter is more likely to be preoccupied with his son’s progress at the sharp end of the championship.
Newcomers to the Donaldson series at the start of the season, Graven and Brewis made a hesitant start in the championship for cars under four litres with solid axle rear suspension. As the season wore on the pair have gained in confidence, and two wins on the last two events sealed their championship with one event to be run.
In an action packed weekend for cross country fans the event will be run in conjunction with the final rounds of the Northern Regions Cross Country Championship, and the SACC Cross Country Motorcycle and Quad Championship. The cars and bikes/quads will compete on separate routes, but the various categories will share a common race headquarters at the Kloof Country Club, in Glenharvie, on the West Rand.
The Donaldson qualifying race to determine grid positions will start at 11:30 on October 28. The main race will start at 08:30 on October 29 with regional competitors flagged away after the last national car.
The start/finish and the designated service area are also located at the Kloof Country Club, with the main race to be run over two loops. There will be a compulsory 20 minute service halt after the first loop, and the race will be restarted at 12:00.
Public entry to race headquarters and spectator points along the route is free of charge. A variety of refreshments will be available at the Kloof Country Club along with spectator guides.
Cross country enthusiasts will also be able to follow the event on the popular RallySafe app for Apple and Android devices. The app is downloaded free of charge from app stores and enables enthusiasts to track the cars on a detailed map, download split times and access results.