A second consecutive overall victory for Chris Coertse and Carolyn Swan in their Rally Technic 2 NRC1 Mazda 2 on 2 of the 2024 South African Rally Championship in the Swartland on Saturday 13 April 2024 pretty much made it the perfect weekend as their main opposition faltered.
Jono van Wyk and Nico Swarts failing to start the event in their GR 16 NRC1 Toyota Starlet and an unfortunate Mandla Mdakane and Kesevan Naidoo forced to retire on the final stage when their GR 21 NRC1 Toyota Starlet broke it’s left front suspension at the final spectator point. A certain second place lost.
Neels Vosloo and Rikus Fourie rued the extra lap at Killarney on Friday evening but second place overall Saturday made amends for a tough weekend in their Hella 545 NRC4 Volkswagen Polo. Husband and wife Anton and Isabel Raaths in their 210 NRC4 Pretoria Noord Toyota Run X enjoyed another steady drive to third overall with the East London based Ocean Trucks / Petrefuel 577 NRC5 “Dealer Team” Toyota Corolla RWD of Oliver de Man and Ingrid Jeacocks the final national classified finishers in fourth spot.
Llewellyn Jones and Christophé Pichon looked the likely regional winners but their r Fawesum Rally Team / CEJ Plant Hire 434 S5 Subaru Impreza WRX 2.0 Turbo 4×4 was forced to retire having hit rocks (in the a L4 on SS3) which destroyed two rims and tyres. The second Fawesum Rally Team / Somerset West Subaru 454 S5 Subaru Impreza WRX 2.0 Turbo 4×4 of young Owen Jones and Aden Bredenkamp recovered froma nightmare Friday to take overall honours on Saturday with Shaun Jones (Father of Owen) third in the third Fawesum Rally Team / Advanced Asphalting Subaru Impreza WRX 2.0 Turbo 4×4.
Going for Gold the Amlay cousins, Shaheen and Yusuf Amlay, unfortunately found themselves rolling their Amlay’s Motorsport 402 S5 Subaru Impreza GT 2.0 Turbo 4×4 comprehensively on SS2. Fortunately very sore ego’s the worst of the injuries sustained but The ex-John Peiser Scoobie looked sad indeed.
Keenan Sassman and Weston Peiser third overall after another clean run in their Howard Centre Motors 413 S4 BMW E36 328i and in fourth it was an elated Cobus Edas and Carl Peskin in their Suzuki Malmesbury / Harkers Automotive 464 S3 Toyota Corolla RXi 1600. Derek Jacobs present from Namibia to congratulate his former chauffeur in person.
Trevor Hodges and Ian Thebus fifth in their Agents Garage 421 S3 Volkswagen Polo on debut with the ever consistent combination of Julian Calvert and Nicholas Knights sixth overall in Liewe Lulu, their 409 S3 Volkswagen Golf MkIII GTi 2.0. Yaseen Amlay and David Abrahams seventh in their 470 S2 Toyota Tazz 1.6 and Peter Isaacs and Mikyle Naidoo added another finish to their record with eighth overall in their 471 S3 Toyota Corolla RXi 1600.
Riyaan Amlay and Achmad Abrahams a rather subdued ninth overall in their Ramlay Builders 433 S3 Toyota Corolla RXi 1600 and Gareth Vernon and Marius Rudolph the final classified finishers in their tenth placed acciDent Guru / Shatterfix 459 S4 BMW E36 328i.
Inus du Plessis and Piet Carinus only lasting one stage in their Coastal Tool Hire 461 S5 BMW E36 330i on Saturday. Erin Joshua and Ibraheem Amlay just making it to the finish of SS1 in their P&P Engineering / We Buy Cars 462 S3 Toyota Conquest RSi 1600 whilst Seraaj Amlay and Ziyaad Amlay did not fare any better in their 457 S3 Volkswagen Golf. Johann and Petra Zulch recording a rare DNF when their Ceres Toyota 439 S2 Ford Escort MkII 1600 Sport suffered overheating.
If anything this event proved that there is a hunger for rallying present!
Published by: Patrick Vermaak
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