A challenging route will offer no late season respite for competitors on the Atlas Copco Gold 450, the final round of the Donaldson Cross Country Championship, on the West Rand on October 30 and 31.
There is also some unfinished championship business to provide the event with a little extra momentum. On the Production Vehicle front the overall and premier Class T championships have been decided, with the Special Vehicle category and Class A titles also done and dusted.
In the Production Vehicle category there is a tight battle in Class S for vehicles up to four litres with solid rear axle suspension. A handful of points separate Heine Strumpher/Henri Hugo (4×4 Mega World Toyota Hilux) and Portuguese crew Rómulo Branco and João Serôdio in the Regent Racing Nissan Navara.
The situation in Class P, in the Special Vehicle category, is not as close. John Thomson and Maurice Zermatten (Zarco Magnum) have a comfortable lead over Century Racing crew Colin Matthews and Rodney Burke who have a mountain to climb.
“For the final event of the season we would like to see a high finish rate, and technical sections have been kept to a minimum,” said race director Adri Roets. “There are some fast sections skirting ploughed fields with ample opportunities for passing, but this is also a route that is going to challenge driver and co-driver.
“It is going to be dry and dusty and with the same loop being used twice, there are sections that are going to become rutted and that will bring down the average speed.”
Race headquarters, the start/finish and the designated service point will all be located at the Kloof Country Club in Glenharvie. The qualifying event to determine race grid positions will be run over a 103 kilometre course, with the race made up of two identical loops of 162 kilometres.
From the start crews will head towards Kalbasfontein and then swing towards Jachtfontein and Waterpan via the Baragwanath airfield. The route then takes in Hillshaven on the way back to Glenharvie.
“As usual the route is spectator friendly,” Roets said. “It crosses the R28 twice and there are numerous spectator points easily accessible via good quality roads.”
Public access to race headquarters and spectator viewing points along the route is free of charge, with spectator information guides available at Kloof Country Club. The qualifying race on October 30 will start at 11:30 and the race at 07:00 on October 31.