Cross Country racing is not for sissies
KYALAMI ESTATES - Evan Hutchinson took on Africa's biggest cross country road race, the Toyota Kalahari Botswana 1000 Desert Race from 27 to 29 June.
Defending national special vehicle champions and top seeds, Hutchinson and Danie Stassen of Nelspruit, were looking for a second win in the cross country race. Their first win was in 2012.
The duo had recorded the 22nd fastest time on 27 June and managed to finish in third place on 28 June in their category and 7th place overall. At the beginning of the third leg of the race on 29 June, Hutchinson and Stassen were the leaders of the Dakar challenge, a separate event that ran in conjunction of the desert race. They however lost pole position due to the tighter nature of the terrain. Halfway through the the race, the South African team found themselves in second place. After 400km, the leaders Quintin and Kallie Sullwald stopped due to electrical problems, giving way to Hutchinson and Stassen who could practically taste victory with 50km to go.
The hard work and preparation of the team and pit crew would not pay off because only seven kilometres from the finish line, fate would deal a crippling blow to their beloved vehicle. The fan belt broke and they lost power steering. Although the water pressure rose, the car trudged on until just three kilometres from the finish line until the radiator pump burst and with it, flammable coolant sprayed onto the driver’s seat and petrol tank igniting the car.
The two drivers escaped from the burning car and with the help of fellow competitor Manfred Shroder, the fire was extinguished, but with it so were their hopes of a second title.
