Motoring reporter
COMBINING the very high gearing with the willing right foot of Dick Cornelissen, had navigator Melvin Gous determined not to miss a beat as the team stormed into first place during the recent Swakopmund Rally, in the potent Star Bodyworks S4 Subaru WRX STi Turbo 4×4.
Winning seven of the nine stages of this second 2014 championship event held at the coast, they clearly stated their intent to claim the overall championships. And on sheer pace Dick and Melvin have ranked the outright favourites but their DNF in Walvis Bay could still prove costly – they have to win everything to succeed at this stage, but are leading the S5 Class.
‘Wonder boy’ Wilro Dippenaar and Riaan van der Westhuizen finished 59 seconds shy of the monster Scooby in their PZN Panelbeaters / Total S3 Toyota Run X 4×4 , which 26 seconds ahead of third placed Allan Martin and Berto Mostert in the J&P Hydraulic S3 VW Polo 4×4.
To date Wilro and Riaan find themselves leading the title fight from the defending champions, after their win on the opening round in Walvis Bay. Allan Martin and Berto who missed bagging maximum points on the two coastal events, despite being on home territory.
Martin Kruger and Meldin Nolte won the Off Road category ‘2’ and were placed fourth overall. Rudi Brand and Wayne Schablinksi fifth overall, and second in OR’2’ with their BAT V8. Oswaldo Mendes and Dewald Swart taking home honours by winning S2 and placing 6th Overall in their ex-Tony Ball VW Golf GTi 2.0. The Swakopmund locals finally making it to the end of an event in the Johnny Olivier prepared VW Golf.
Rolf and Kai Pretorius, the second S4 combination home in seventh overall and the Namibian rally legend proving that he can still play with the youngsters when it comes to desert rallying. Hanré Myburgh and Eugene Marais winning class S1 and finishing 8th overall in their Star Bodyworks Toyota Conquest RSi 1600.
Durand Oosthuizen and Martin Lotter making their annual appearance in the OR2 truck to finish 9th overall. Marco Luiz and De Wet du Plessis bringing their Xenium Racing Ford Ikon home tenth overall, just five seconds ahead of the final finishers, Pieter Greeff and Steven Robinson, in their Keetmanshoop based Toyota Corolla RXi 1600.
For Stefanie Botha and Willem Hugo the event proved to be another disappointment when their Griffin Cars S4 Subaru Impreza Turbo 4×4 expired on SS1. Amongst those who fell out, Roland Himmel and Juan Erlank also found themselves spectating when the S1 Toyota Etios 1.5 broke a CV on SS1. Willy van Wyk and Dianté Booysen also did not enjoy a happy debut in the ex-Zander Wiese S1 Toyota Conquest RSi 1600, completing only SS1.
Twenty crews appeared on the starting list and eleven reached the finish line. What has become apparent during the first two rallies is the fact that consistency will be playing a major factor in achieving success in the title chase, and preparation will form key to success for round three of the Namibian Rally Championship. (Patrick Vermaak)