After back-to-back wins in the first two events of the 2015 South African National Rally Championship the Ford Performance duo of Mark Cronje and Robin Houghton have increased their points lead in the series which runs over eight rounds.
Photo: Ledbitter
After victory in a drenched Mpumalanga in their Ford Fiesta S2000, and their win in Natal, the pair now has 32 points – putting them eight points clear of reigning champions Leeroy Poulter and Elvéne Coetzee (Castrol Team Toyota Yaris), runners-up in both events.
With the Volkswagen Sasolracing crew of Henk Lategan/Barry White (VW Polo) retiring from the Sasol Rally after an accident, third place on the leader board now belongs to team mates Gugu Zulu and Pierre Arries.
Zulu/Arries were fifth in Natal and scored a surprise third place in Mpumalanga. They are ten points behind Poulter/Coetzee, and 3.5 points ahead of Lategan/White, who scored 1.5 points in the Sasol Rally under Superally rules.
After finishing fourth overall in Natal and earning 2.5 points under Superally rules in Mpumalanga the second Castrol Team Toyota crew of Dakar legend Giniel de Villiers and Carolyn Swan (Toyota Yaris) are fifth overall on 9.5 points.
Sixth on the log and showing great form on the Tour Natal, Japie van Niekerk (NAD Ford Fiesta) was forced to retire from the Sasol Rally after the accident with Lategan/White is on seven points ahead of Wilro Dippenaar and Kes Naidoo (Toyota Auris) the only surviving NRC4 competitors on the event.
In the S1600 class Paulus Franken and Henry Kohne (Manitou Group VW Polo R2) cemented their lead, adding another 12 points to their tally with a second place in the Sasol Rally, following their victory in Natal. With 28 points they are now seven points ahead of Matthew Vacy-Lyle/Schalk van Heerden (Fragram Toyota Etios) with Sasol Rally S1600 class winners Chad van Beurden/ Nico Swartz (Beurden Transport VW Polo) a mere 2.5 points adrift.
Photo: Ledbitter
Guy Botterill and Simon Vacy-Lyle (Yato Toyota Etios) scored nine points in Natal and another two in the Mpumalanga, giving them a total of 11, while Richard Leeke/Rikus Fourie (ATS Ford Fiesta R2), after a fifth place finish in Mpumalanga, are now fifth on the log with eight points.
In the Manufacturer’s Championship Volkswagen lead the pack with 77.5 points, followed by Toyota with 72.5 and Ford on 50.5 points.
The next round of the SA National Rally Championship, the Secunda Motor Rally, takes place on 15 and 16 May in Mpumalanga.