The Heidelberg Rally, round five of the national rally championship, started in Heidelberg this afternoon. The event has attracted 22 entries of which only 14 have entered for the national rally championship and the rest are regional entries.
As has become to be expected the first stage was won by the current championship leader, Leeroy Poulter in a Toyota Gazoo Racing Yaris S2000.
Second, not surprisingly, was Giniel de Villiers also in the same car as Poulter and third Ernie van der Walt in another Toyota Yaris. Fourth was Namibia’s Wilro Dippenaar in a Ford Fiesta rounding off the entries in the Class S2000 championship.
Poulter won the first stage in a time of 2:55.9 with de Villiers second +2.8, van der Walt third 5.5 and Dippenaar fourth +9.3.
The only NRC4 entry, Theuns Joubert in a Toyota Auris was fifth 13.8s behind the leader.
AC Potgieter in a S1600 Volkswagen Polo R2 was next up in 6th position +16.8. He was followed by the current champion, Guy Botterill in a Toyota Etios R2 +17.1 and Richard Leeke in a Ford Fiesta R2 +18.3.
The fourteen stage rally will consist of fourteen stages of about 180km of which six will be run today and the rest tomorrow. Three of the first six stages are on tar and three are in the night.
The Clerk of the Course is Jackie Schreiber who is performing the task as CoC under supervision.
More to follow later.