It is not a good season for Mark Cronje. After his three brilliant seasons, this is not his.After leading the Toyota Cape Dealer Rally in the Ford Racing Dord Fiesta, from the start yesterday, things did not go his way this morning. Running first on the road, Crionje has suffered two punctures that has cost him more than two minutes and had dropped him down to 7th overall at the end of stage 8.
Leeroy Poulter
Leeroy Poulter in the Team Castrol Toyota Yaris has taken the lead and is currently leading the event with a total time of 58:21.4. In second place is Hergen Fekken also in a Team Castrol Toyota Yaris some 41.5 sec behind Poulter. Poulter is the current front runner in trhe championship and with two rallies left he may not be caught.
In third is Enzo Kuun, in the NAD Ford Fiesta, 52.4 sec off the lead. This is only Kuun’s second rally of the year and if he can stay where he is, it will be his second podium after finishing second on an earlier event. He is standing in for Japie van Niekerk who had to withdraw from the event as a result of business commitmens.
Fourth overall is Giniel de Villiers in an Imperial Toyota Yaris 1:13.1 behind Poulter, followed by Hans Weijs in a Sasolracing Volkswagen Polo +1:39.6.
In sixth position is Theo Himmel also in a Volkswagen 2:36.0 behind the lead car with Cronje seventh 2:36.0. Hein Lategan in a Sasolracing Volkswagen Polo who was driving with a broken little finger, hit an Eskom pole. He completed the stage and is 8th overall.Gugu Zulu, also in a Sasolracing Volkswagen is
18th
The current leader in the s1600 championship. Guy Botteril finds himself in ninth overall followed by Piet Bakkes. Chad van Beurden, Botterill’s strongest competition went out of the rally yesterday with mechanical problems.
The Toyota Cape Dealer Rally is round six of the SA National Rally Championship and is being held over 12 stages with a total stage distance of 175km. It ends at Cape Gate this afternoon.