Action aplenty in Algoa Rally Club thriller
Another long weekend with perfect weather ensured that rally fans were once again treated to rallying action out of the top drawer at the Syrabix, Motul, APS Scribante Rally that took place on and around Aldo Scribante Raceway on Monday.
After dominating the opening round of the championship in Despatch, Gauteng visitors Nico and Juandre Nienaber were back for round two of the Algoa Rally Club Championship and put on yet another scintillating show that had the appreciative crowd enthralled with their high-speed skill around the circuit that comprised a mix of gravel and tar stages.
Nick Davidson and his navigator Ashley Bezuidenhout made a welcome return after missing the opening round and pushed the Nienaber brothers in their 4-wheel drive Toyota Auris.
A highlight of the event was the addition of seven new competitors to the world of rallying, with Belinda Ball and her son Timothy joining the action along with East London brothers Justin and Dane Langhein, father and son Paul and Gerald Gouws and Winston 'Pikkie' Marais all competing for the first time.
Unfortunately the hot conditions resulted in a couple of cars dropping out of the event that saw Jeandre Marais and his fiancé Tegan Taljaard retiring in stage 3 after snapping a conrod in the engine, a blown motor in stage 4 for Ruan van Tonder and Marius Rautenbach and gear selector problems for Ross and Roxanne Bartle at the start of stage 4 ,while Cape Town visitors Paul van Wyk & Matt Kohler were plagued with overheating problems.
Rounds 3 and 4 of the Algoa Rally Championship form part of the National Rally Championship and take place on July 25 and 26, starting in Despatch with stages in and around the town before heading to the Longmore Forest.
Overall and class results of round two:
Overall: 1 Nico Nienaber and Juandre Nienaber — Toyota Etios 1600; 2 Nick Davidson and Ashley Bezuidenhout — Toyota Auris S2000 4wd; 3 Neels Vosloo and Rikus Fourie — VW Polo 250 1600
ARC1: 1 Nick Davidson and Ashley Bezuidenhout — Toyota Auris S2000 4wd; 2 Paul van Wyk and Matt Kohler — Audi Quattro S3 4x4 1800 Turbo
ARC3: 1 Johan Viljoen and Juane' Viljoen — VW Polo 250 2000; 2 Oliver de Man and Ingrid Jeacocks — Toyota Corolla E70 2L; 3 Justin Langhein and Dane Langhein — Toyota KE70 2L
ARC 4: 1 Nico Nienaber and Juandre Nienaber — Toyota Etios 1600; 2 Neels Vosloo and Rikus Fourie — VW Polo 250 1600; 3 Gordon Nolan and Timothy Ball — VW Polo 250 1600
ARC 5: 1 Riekus Schmidt and Marco Griesel — VW Polo A13 1400; 2 Francois Vermaak and Handré van Schalkwyk — VW Golf A1 1400; 3 Leander Koekemoer and Kaylin Kapp — VW Polo 250 1200 Turbo
Clubmans: 1 Justin Langhein and Dane Langhein — Toyota KE70 2L; 2 Francois Vermaak and Handré van Schalkwyk — VW Golf A1 1400; 3 Martin Kleingeld and Mark Irvine — Toyota Corolla KE35 1600.
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