The 2022 TRACN4 National Rally is just two weeks away, and entries for this illustrious motorsport event in Dullstroom have started pouring in.
Not only are the competing rally teams and their fans excited about the final leg of both the national and regional series, but the hosting eMakhazeni community is looking forward to hearing the roar of world-class rally cars in and around town.
This year’s rally, being held on November 18 and 19, will bring the 2022 official SA Rally Championship and Northern Regions Regional Rally to a close with contenders expected to put up a tough fight for the honour of being crowned SA Rally and Northern Regions Champions.
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Intense competition is expected in the NRC 1 (AWD/R4) class, with the top teams in this division expected to fight until the end for national top honours.
Chris Coertse and Greg Godrich have been consistent in their performance and are leading the championship in their new Rally 2 Kit 1600 Mazda-2.
In second place is Theuns Joubert and Schalk van Heerden in their Salom Toyota Yaris. Multiple SA Rally Championship duo Guy Botterill and Simon Vacy-Lyle in their Toyota Starlet are in third place.
Fourth place is currently held by Johannes Potgieter and Tommy du Toit in the Hyundai i20 R4, who are chasing hard. Also not giving up the chase is Gerald Klopper and Johan Aucamp in their R2 Toyota Etios in fifth position.
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The sixth position is being held by the Subaru driven by Johan Strauss and navigator Elzaan Venter. In seventh place are Anton Raaths and Mari du Casse, who need to be watched closely as they are fighting hard to move up the leader board in their R2 Toyota Auris.
Another team doing extremely well in the national championships in a Ford Fiesta R2 is Magriet Potgieter and Rikus Fourie, who will start the final leg of the 2022 National championship in eighth position.
The ninth and 10th positions belong to two R2 class teams, namely Benjamin Habig and Barry White in a VW Polo R2, and Jono van Wyk and Ingrid Jeacocks in a Ford Fiesta R2.
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On the Northern Regional Rally front, the R2 Toyota Auris of Anton Raaths and Mari du Casse is leading the championship, followed by the consistent and entertaining team of Stuart Stirling and Robin Knighton in their VW Kombi Syncro.
George Smallberger is currently in third place. In terms of this division’s navigator contest, competition is tight, too, with three navigators fighting for the third overall navigators title for 2022.
This championship is still wide open, and the rally gods are still deciding which way the pendulum will swing for the crown of the Northern Regions Rally Championship, which further ensures that the 2022 TRAC N4 National Rally will be full of excitement, tough competition and excellent driving!
Even though some of the stages in this year’s rally are again taking place in the challenging Safcol and S&N Boerdery plantations that envelope Dullstroom, the organisers have also created new and exciting stages that are expected to test all the competitors.
One of these – considered one of the highlights – will start from the Safcol Belfast Plantation offices in the direction of Lakenvlei Lodge.
One of the old favourites, Stage Henk, is also back and will be contested on the final day. The highlight of this year’s rally for spectators will again be the Legends Stage right on the edge of town.
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Another superb piece of news regarding this year’s rally is that Mahindra Nelspruit has agreed to partner with the event and provide the safety vehicle convoy. This fleet will be made up of the brand’s latest Next Generation Mahindra Pik Up Karoo special edition Dusk, Dawn and Storm and will be used by rally officials to ensure that the stages, competitors, teams and spectators are safe throughout the event.
This is the fourth consecutive year Trans African Concessions (TRAC) is sponsoring a round of the South African National and Regional Rally Championship series and the third year it is taking the event to Dullstroom, one of the province’s most iconic tourist towns.
Knowing the event well already, locals have expressed their eagerness to welcome back the rally fraternity, promising to ensure their region is ready to host the competition, which is considered a significant economic driver.
This year’s rally will again coincide with the Dullstroom Village Market, which will be held on November 19 at the Oval, from where the rally will start on the second day of competition.
According to the market organisers, this is the perfect opportunity to get the town wholly involved in this motorsport event, which also has a solid corporate social investment element as all the proceeds raised will be donated to the Dullstroom Epilepsy Centre.
For more information on the 2022 TRACN4 Rally, follow @TRACN4 or @SARallychamps on Facebook and Instagram or visit our website at www.tracn4.co.za. The race secretary can be contacted at lizelle@electrothread.co.za.
