Sun City beckons

Ford and Toyota will again have Nissan in their sights in the Production Vehicle category at the Sun City 400, round five of the Absa Off-Road Championship, on 25 and 26 July.

Nissan, the reigning champions, currently have three wins — all going to reigning drivers champion Duncan Vos in one of three factory Sasol Nissan Navara's — while Toyota have a lone victory via Mark Cronje and Chris Birkin in one of two factory Castrol Toyota Hilux entries.

Ford have yet to win this season but former champions Neil Woolridge and Kenny Skjoldhammer have had four podium finishes in a row in the factory Ford Racing Ranger, and Sun City could provide their breakthrough.

The Woolridge/Skjoldhammer/Ford combination, on an event that is traditionally tough on man and machine, could be a winning one overall and in the premier Super Production Class. The crew is experienced and have a liking for the more technical routes, the vehicle is strong and reliable and the ingredients could all gel and provide Ford with an overdue victory.

The fact that Skjoldhammer leads the co-drivers championship — with Ralph Pitchford missing events via overseas commitments — is an additional incentive for the team. Woolridge is second in the drivers championship and with back-up from Mark Ferguson and Craig West, in another factory entry, and the reliable Kobus van Tonder/Riaan Guelpa (Unifreight Ford Ranger) the Ford challenge is a powerful one.

The Ford presence is given a further boost by Alfie Cox and Hennie ter Stege in the Motorite SP. The pair have had a patchy season so far, but are far too capable and experienced to be left out of the equation.

Nissan, of course, also have a powerful hand. Vos is rejoined by Pitchford and veteran Hannes Grobler/Juan Mohr and Norwegian Ivar Tollefsen and Briton Quin Evans give Glyn Hall’s team three possible winners.

Young Louis Weichelt, who stood in for Pitchford in the Toyota Kalahari Botswana 1000 Desert Race win, did a fine job but Vos has an affinity with Pitchford that makes the combination hard to beat. Grobler/Mohr have not enjoyed the best of luck recently and they are also due a win.

Nissan have dominated the Production Vehicle championship in recent seasons, and will probably go to Sun City as favourites. There are signs, however, of little chinks appearing in the armour which give Toyota and Ford crews a glimmer of hope.

The experienced Anthony Taylor, who has linked up with veteran Robin Houghton in the factory Castrol Toyota team, appears to have added an element of stability to the squad. Cronje and Birkin are perhaps the quickest crew in the championship, but having both works entries in the points in two successive races has been a boost for the entire Castrol Toyota squad.

There will be solid back-up from Chris Visser/Japie Badenhorst (Castrol Toyota Hilux) and Hugo and Jaap de Bruyn (Micaren Exel Toyota Hilux) who are deceptively quick. George and Sharon Barkhuizen (Ruwacon Toyota Hilux) and Jaco Swanepoel/Keith Solomon (IDM Cement Toyota Hilux) appear to have found their feet in the SP Class and have come up with encouraging recent results.

Mike Tomsett and Brian Haviland, in the new double cab Feltex Imperial Toyota Hilux made an impressive start to the Toyota Kalahari Botswana 1000 Desert Race. The potential is there for the pair to add greatly to Toyota’s cause.

Nissan crews currently lead the way in Class D with Coetzee Labuscagne/Johan Gerber (Raysonics Nissan Hardbody) leading brothers Henri and Maurice Zermatten in a similar vehicle in Ryobi colours. Both crews have won this season and a good contest could develop.

Their biggest challenge will probably come from the steady Chris du Plooy and Henk van Vuuren (RFS Toyota Hilux) who have done well this season. Cliff Weichelt/Jimmy Goch (N1 4x4 Toyota Hilux D4D) and Ramon Bezuidenhout/Stefan Lock (Toyota Hilux), last year’s top rookies, have been disappointing and both will be looking for a return to form.

Toyota crew Jannie Visser and Joks le Roux (Team Barberspan Toyota Hilux) have taken firm control of Class E. Penalties that dropped Jack Peckham and Lucio Santoro from first to third in class on the Toyota Kalahari Botswana 1000 Desert Race did nothing to further their cause of in the Ford Racing Ranger.

The KwaZulu-Natal crew will be keen to make amends and another interesting clash is one the cards. Newcomer Dewald van Breda (Potch Plastics Toyota Hilux) has done well, with three different co-drivers in four events, and Thomas Rundle/Brian Roberts, in the Barden Tyre Services Nissan Hardbody, will be looking to turn around what has so far been a disappointing season.

Deon Venter/Ian Palmer (4x4 Megaworld Toyota Hilux) will also be looking for a good result as will rookies Dan Swanepoel and James Moss in the IDM Cement Toyota Hilux.

With Toyota now leading Nissan by a slender 12 points in the prestige SA Manufacturers Championship, the Sun City event is important to both manufacturers. Ford are a further 34 points in arrears and the battles in the Pilanesberg with the Sun City 400 voted the best event last year, will be both interesting and significant.