The Toyota Gazoo Racing Yaris crew of Leeroy Poulter and Elvene Coetzee, showed that they were spoiling for a fight when they won the second stage of the Goldsfields Rally in Phakisa tonight. But Cronje in the Volkswagen Polo, who was third on the stage, was still leading the event by 1.3 seconds at the end of the first leg.
Cronje’s overall time after the first two tar stages was 7:49.8. Poulter was second 1.3 behind Cronje having cut Cronje’s lead by nearly half. Third was Ernie van der Walt in a Ford Fiesta 4.1 seconds behind the leader with Wilro Dippenaar from Namibia in another Ford Fiesta fourth 4.5 seconds slower.
Sixth overall was Giniel de Villiers in the other Toyota Gazoo Racing Yaris, 4.9 off the pace.
The S1600 class leadser was Guy Botterill in a Toyota Etios +45.8 seconds.
The Goldfields Rally is the first round of the seven round 2016 SA National Rally Championship. It is being contested over 11 stages with a total stage distance of 162 km.
So far the event has seen three national competitors retire. Rocky Reinecke in a NR4 Mitsubishi Evo 8, Ashley-Haigh Smith in a Ford Fiesta R2 and AC Potgieter in a Volkswagen Polo.
Altogether 17 cars started the event this morning. Theuns Joubert was one of the non-starters.
The rally is being organised by the SSC East Rand with John Ogden as Clerk of the Course.