Du Preez, Snyman, Oerlemans, Vercueil, Schulenburg, Kruger, Polokwane Brick Works … It may sound like the phone directory of the Polokwane Agricultural Society, and if you have guessed this you won’t be too far from right …
Actually it is the names of special stages for the 2015 Polokwane Motor Rally, final round in the South African National Rally Championship to be run on Friday, 16 October, and Saturday, 17 October in the Limpopo Province, all named after the farmers or land owners of the properties on which they are run.
For the two leading contenders in this year’s championship, Mark Cronje (Ford Performance Fiesta S2000) and Leeroy Poulter (Castrol Toyota Yaris), these descriptive stages could mean the difference between being crowned 2015 rally champions or not.
With only 7.5 points separating them in the title race it will be the stages that treat them kindly that will make all the difference, be it the Polokwane Brick Works stage of 10.37km, Du Preez stage of 10.36km or the Snyman stage 12.77km on day one, or the Schulenburg stage of 17.9km, the Oerlemans/Vercueil stage of 17.39km or the very long and tricky Kruger stage of 38.67km on the final day…
While Poulter will have to win the rally outright to stand a chance to retain his crown, Cronje only needs to finish third or higher to clinch the title. The rough and dusty stages around Polokwane traditionally favour the Toyotas, but Cronje and new co-driver Gerhard Snyman are expected to be cool, calm and consistent to get through the weekend without any problems.
Following a double-podium finish in the Western Cape, the Sasolracing Volkswagen rally team are primed for another high octane performance with their hopes hinged on Gugu Zulu, currently placed third in the championship with 53 points, 3.5 points clear of the Castrol Toyota driver Giniel de Villiers.
To guarantee a third place finish for Volkswagen in this year’s series Zulu will either have to beat the ex-Dakar champion in the Limpopo Province or finish only one position behind him.
In the S1600 class the current leaders Guy Botterill and Simon Vacy-Lyle (Yato Tools Toyota Etios R2) only need to finish sixth or higher, while Matthew Vacy-Lyle and Schalk van Heerden (Fragram Toyota Etios R2) is well set to take second position.
However, the Fragram Tools Toyota pair is only 7.5 points clear of Capetonians Paulus Franken and Henry Kohne (Manitou Volkswagen Polo R2), so a good scrap between them can be expected in the Limpopo Province.
The event, over a distance of approximately 548km, will consist of nine gravel special stages over a distance of about 175km and will start at 13:00 on Friday from the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.
The first day’s stages will finish at around 17:50 at the stadium. The rally restarts at 07:30 on Saturday from the stadium and the first car is expected to finish at around 14:30 on Saturday, also at the Peter Mokaba stadium.