Cross-country series jitters
HIGH TENSION: EARLY SIGNS POINT TO TOUGH COMPETITION AMONG CLASS T CARS
At the top of the scale, Poulter and Howie pull off another victory.
With one event already done, this year’s South African Cross Country Series is shaping up to be a competitive affair. That is not the case at the top of the scale, though, where reigning South African champions Leeroy Poulter and Rob Howie (Gazoo Toyota Hilux) find themselves in familiar territory after winning the recent season-opening Lichtenburg 400 race overall.
It is in Class T – for cars over four litres with fixed-axle rear suspension – that early signs point to a tough season, with any one of half a dozen teams capable of pulling off victories.
Mpumalanga brothers Johan and Werner Horn, in their Malalane Toyota Hilux, took the Lichtenburg win, giving them second place in the overall standings and the lead in Class T.
Gareth Woolridge/Boyd Dreyer (Puma Lubricants Ford Ranger) and their team-mates Henk Lategan/Barry White in a similar vehicle, finished third and fourth, to occupy those places on the points log.
Former South African champions Chris Visser and Japie Badenhorst (Atlas Copco Toyota Hilux) lie fifth overall and fourth in class, with Hennie de Klerk/Rodney Burke (Treasury One VW Amarok) next up in a performance that offered plenty of encouragement for the rest of the season.
Class S for cars up to four litres with solid-axle rear suspension saw only one finisher in Lichtenburg, leaving Jannie Visser and son Chris (Toyota Hilux) in the class points lead.
Stefan van Pletzen and Jaco Pieterse (Live Lesotho Chenowth) lead the Special Vehicle category overall, chased by Evan Hutchison/Danie Stassen (King Price Extreme BAT Viper), plus husband and wife Marius and Jolinda Fourie in their PHB BAT.
Rounding out the top six are John Telford/Victor Ntsekhe (Calcamite Hellcat), Brian Baragwanath/Leonard Cremer (Century CR-T) and Kobus/Marinda Fourie (BAT).
Round two of the SA Cross Country championship will take crews to the historical KwaZulu-Natal area of Dundee.
The Battlefields 400 race will be run on May 12 and 13.