Tour Natal Rally kicks off 2014 forest racing season

Significant changes have swept through the Sasol Volkswagen and Castrol Toyota factory teams as they prepare to take on the Ford Racing Fiesta S2000 of reigning champions Mark Cronje/Robin Houghton.

The Ford pair will sport new livery on their double championship winning M-Sport-built Fiesta as they challenge for a third consecutive title.

Sasol Volkswagen has retained the services of one of the brightest talents in the sport, 19-year-old Henk Lategan, with the veteran Pierre Arries reading the notes in a Polo S2000.

Youngster Henk Lategan/Barry White (Sasol Volkswagen Polo) will lead the Uitenhage factory’s works team.

Gugu Zulu/Carl Peskin will step up to the top class in a second Polo with the exciting Dutch/Belgian combo of Hans Weijs and Bjorn Degant returning to the SA series in a third Polo.

KZN fans will enjoy a special surprise in the form of 11 times Austrian Rally Champion Raimund Baumschlager/Walter Illmer in a fourth Sasol VW Polo in a one-off appearance.

Over in the Castrol Toyota team, Hergen Fekken returns to his roots, replacing the recently retired Johnny Gemmell.

The Yaris driver will have Carolyn Swan in the left-hand seat to call the notes.

One crew who consistently took the fight to Cronje last season was Leeroy Poulter/Elvéne Coetzee and they should continue where they left off, leading rallies in their Castrol Toyota Yaris.

Leeroy Poulter/Elvene Coetzee (Castrol Toyota Yaris) should challenge for podium places this weekend.

Giniel de Villiers/Greg Godrich will pilot a third Imperial Toyota-backed Yaris S2000, the Dakar hero is expected to fight for his place in the sun on what is sure to be a very tight podium battle.

Japie van Niekerk/Gerhard Snyman (New Africa Developments Ford Fiesta) have upgraded their car from “Challenge” spec to a full-on, latest M-Sport weapon, and they can provide surprises.

Super 2000 Challenge:

The class for older specification S2000 cars will feature four teams vying for their own championship.

One of last year’s stars is the 23 year-old Namibian Thilo Himmel who steps up from Super 1600 into a Sasol Volkswagen Polo Vivo with his regular co-driver Armand du Toit.

Nic van der Westhuizen/Stefan Cilliers (SA Earthworks Toyota Auris) will be praying for a mechanically trouble-free year, unlike their previous season.

Namibian Wilro Dippenaar and Kes Naidoo (McCarthy Toyota Auris) should mount a sustainable challenge for victory, while Piet Bakkes/Johan Aucamp (Accident Guru Toyota RunX) will round out the four-wheel drive entry.

Super 1600:

A mix of vibrant youth and experienced campaigners will mark the fight for honours in the two-wheel drive, 1600cc-engined class. Defending champions Clint Weston/Christoff Snyders (Reef Tankers Citroen C2 R2) will have their work cut out to beat off the brat-pack snapping at their heels.

The highly-effective Toyota Etios R2 will be in the hands of Guy Botterill/Simon Vacy-Lyle in Yato Tools livery, with another Fragram Tools wrapped Etios for last year’s runners-up Mathew Vacy-Lyle/Schalk van Heerden.

Both should be contenders for victory on their home turf.

Chris Coertse and the 17 year old Mari van der Walt will campaign a third Etios R2 in Electrothread colours.

Ford will be well represented by Ashley Haigh-Smith/Damien van Ass (Castrol Fiesta R2), with similar entries for the young Ernie van der Walt and Briton James Aldridge (Ferodo Fiesta), Lourens van Rensburg/Pierre Jordaan (7 Films Fiesta), Richard Leeke/ Michael Gilby (ATS Fiesta), and Donovan Meyer/Tommy Coetzee (SA Earthworks Fiesta).

Volkswagen is fielding one of last season’s talents, Chad Van Beurden/Nico Swartz (Beurden Construction Polo R2), with additional entries from Paul Franken/Henry Kohne (Manitou Polo R2), AC Potgieter/Tommy du Toit (Remax Polo R2) and Marko Himmell/Francois Schoombee in a Polo R2.

Toyota’s stalwart Auris and RunX models abound in the hands of Andre Heine/Robbie Coetzee (Heine Motorsport Auris), Willie van Straaten/Scott Howden (Collisen Engineering RunX) and Nico Nienaber/Gert Janse van Rensburg (Fluiconnecto RunX).

New for 2014 is the NRC2 class for non-championship entries. Here, a crowd favourite will be local driver Tony Ball/Alan Bisset in a Lancia Fulvia and Bryan/Keith Heine in their immaculate Datsun SSS Coupe.

Route:

A total of 14 stages and 477km of driving (194.7km of special stage racing) make up the Tour Natal route.

The Scottburgh Country Club hosts the start, finish and central service throughout the event, which starts at noon on Friday.

Crews will tackle six special speed stages in the Umzinto/Esperanza area of the South Coast before returning to Scottburgh for the overnight halt.

Saturday’s action will get underway at 7.45am with eight stages on the itinerary, hugging the coast line around Park Rynie. The event will finish back in Scottburgh at 2.30pm.

Spectator guides are available on www.rallyworld.net and at the start.