Toyota team new SA rally champs

TOYOTA Gazoo Racing SA’s Guy Botterill and navigator Simon Vacy-Lyle secured the 2017 South African National Rally Championship with a second-place finish at the final round of the season, the weekend’s Carnival City Rally.

The pair started the event trailing championship leaders Richard Leeke and navigator Henry Köhne (Ford) by just four points, ensuring a tight race at the top.

It was Leeke/Köhne who drew first blood when they opened up a 10-second lead on the opening stage after the Toyota crew wrong-slotted.

But Botterill/Vacy-Lyle fought back on Stage 2, clawing back a single second – only to lose two more seconds to the Ford crew on the next stage. Leeke/Köhne pushed hard on Stage 4, extending their lead over Botterill/Vacy-Lyle by three seconds, but the Toyota crew remained in touch with the early leaders, planning on striking back at the start of the second day.

“Unfortunately, the fight never reached day two,” Botterill said after completing the event.

“Richard and Henry’s car wouldn’t start on the open section after Stage 4 [and they] were forced to retire.”

Leeke’s retirement increased his lead in the championship, as he now had a DNF’s score to drop – putting him nine points ahead of Botterill/Vacy-Lyle by retiring from the final round. This meant the Toyota Etios crew had to finish on the podium to ensure victory in the title race.

Botterill/Vacy-Lyle maintained an excellent pace throughout the remainder of the rally.

They finished second overall, 42 seconds behind winners AC Potgieter and Nico Swartz (Volkswagen).

Botterill/Vacy-Lyle had won the Class S1600 championship three times previously, but this was their first championship in the front-wheel-drive era, which sees the former Class S1600 cars as the top-flight of SA rallying.

This means Botterill will now join rally legends like Serge Damseaux and Jan Habig as an SA National Rally Champion.