It was clear that the fat lady was going to have her fianl say on this event. In a shocking turn of events, Giniel de Villiers, South Africa’s Dakar hero, in an Imperial Toyota Yaris scored his first ever South African Rally win when he won the Toyota Cape Dealer Rally on the final stage.
The season has been a good one for Toyota, but today was their day. Leeroy Poulter, Team Castrol Toyota Yaris, who lead the rally from the beginning this morning on the second day, looked set to get his fifth win of the season and cement his place at the top of the championship leader board.
First Mark Cronje in the Ford Racing Ford Fiesta, who led overnight dropped out of contention after two punctures cost him over 2 minutes and gave Poulter the lead. Poulter hung onto the lead in spite of the attentions of Hergen Fekken, also in a similar car, and Enzo Kuun in the Nad Ford Fiesta that he was driving on behalf of Japie van Niekerk. Cronje finished 6th.
And then came the last stage, but by then it was clear that Poulter had some sort of as problem. De Villiers started the last state1.9sec behind the leader and won the stage and the rally by beating Poulter by 8.1 sec over a two kilometer stage. Rumour has it that Poulter suffered from a suspension problem that cost him the rally.
Kuun, in only his second rally after he “retired” earlier this year, scored his second podium by finishing third. He was 15.6 sec behind de Villiers. Hergen Fekken in the other Team Castrol Toyota Yaris was 4th 21.7 sec behind his team mate.
The Toyota camp will be a very happy one tonight since it has been a long time that they have had such a good result.
The Sasolracing Volkswagen Polo Team did not have such a good day. Only one of their entries managed to finish the rally. Hans Weisj, their guest driver, finished fifth. None of the other entries managed to finish in the top ten. Henk Lategan who competed with a broken finger, lost a lot of time when he hit a Eskom pole with his Volkswagen Polo.
Guy Botterill in a Toyota Etios added to the joy of the Toyota camp by winning the S1666 class form Paulus Franken in a Volkswagen Polo.
The Cape Dealer Rally was the 6th round of the SA National Rally Championship.
A full wrap of the event will published as soon as it comes to hand,