The Imperial Toyota Cullinan Rally, round five of the SA National Rally Championship, will feature three new special stages out of a total of 12 over the two-day event that starts from the Zonderwater Correctional Services facility north-east of Pretoria on August 15.There will be six special stages on Friday covering some 78 kilometres of mostly farm roads in the Cullinan area.
The first car, the four-wheel drive Volkswagen Sasolracing Polo of Henk Lategan and Barry White will depart the ceremonial start ramp at Zonderwater Correctional Services at 11:00 and will get the event proper underway at 11:10 on an 8,2-kilometre opening special stage. The first of the day’s three compulsory service stops on the Zonderwater cricket field will follow stage one and will allow competitors 20 minutes to attend to any problems or adjustments that might be needed.
Stage two is a longer version of stage one – 16,2 kilometres – in the same area and is followed by the shortest stage of the day – 5,27 kilometres. Stage three is new and will present competitors with a tight and technical test that also includes one longish straight. A 30-minute service stop precedes stages four and five, both new and incorporating farmyards that are some 30 kilometres east of Zonderwater in the direction of Bronkhorstspruit. They are 17,95 kilometres and 15,18 kilometres in length.
The final stage on Friday is in the Ekandustria area, 17 kilometres from Zonderwater, and covers a distance of 14,95 kilometres. Competitors will then return to rally headquarters and the designated service area for a final 45-minute service before being impounded in the parc ferme for the night.
“We’ve managed to achieve a compact day’s special stage rallying on excellent gravel roads that will afford spectators good opportunities to see the cars in action from safe vantage points without having to travel great distances,” said Clerk of the Course Willie du Plessis.
“The same six special stages will make up Saturday’s action (with stage seven starting from Zonderwater at 09:00), with a single 30-minute service stop after stage nine (a repeat of stage three at Zonderwater). The leading car on the road is expected at the service stop at 10:38 and rally fans can expect a lot of action in the pits after the competitors have all had to survive three special stages and nearly 30 kilometres of high-speed rallying without any assistance from their service crews over road surfaces that will be a lot softer than they were during Friday’s first run through the route.
“All in all, I think we have another good, tough test of the country’s top rally crews after our successful inaugural Cullinan Rally in 2013,” said Du Plessis. “It’s been very dry in the area lately as the Highveld winter comes to an end, so dust will be a problem. There are over 155 kilometres of timed special stages to keep them honest and a total rally distance of 380 kilometres or so including the liaison sections.
“We would again like to acknowledge the excellent co-operation from the Cullinan and other landowners and the officials at the Zonderwater Correctional Services facility,” he added.
The first car is expected to start the final stage (a repeat of stage six) at 13:00. The TV podium ceremony and champagne spraying for the Imperial Toyota Cullinan Rally will take place at around 16:00.