Summarize

Benjamin Habig and Barry White’s NRC1 Volkswagen Polo turned the South African Rally Championship run on Dunlop Tyres on its head with a splendid double victory at the Toyota Gazoo Racing SA Ermelo Rally over the weekend. They may have benefited Jono van Wyk and Nico Swartz’s NRC 1 Mazda 2 blowing its engine to go undefeated over Friday’s six Round 5 stages, but Saturday was another matter when the Mazda returned to chase the Polo all the way.

Habig and White’s Polo opened the betting with a two second opening stage win over Swazi Cowboy van Wyk and Swartz’s Mazda, before a compelling second stage win. The already struggling Mazda then suffered an engine issue in the third test to retire and leave Benjamin and Barry at a clear advantage. That left Guy Botterill and Simon Vacy-Lyle back in the Toyota Gazoo Racing Starlet and, on a mission, to find pace, to take up the chase in stages 2, 3 and 4.

The Toyota however struggled over the following two tests to slip behind NRC2 crews, Paul van Niekerk and Willemjan Human’s Volkswagen Polo and Subaru Impreza pair, Johan Strauss, and Caro Storm, and NRC3 winners, Gustav Potgieter and Tommy du Toit’s Ford Fiesta R2 at the finish. Botterill and Vacy-Lyle came home fifth from two more NRC 2 crews Juan de Wet and Juandre Nienaber’s Subaru Impreza and Anton Raaths and Kes Naidoo’s Ford Escort Cosworth. NRC 4 winners Russel Stone and Johnty Brown closed off the top ten in their Toyota RunX.

Saturday’s Ermelo round 6 saw the van Wyk and Swartz Mazda back in action as they chased Habig and White’s Polo home in the first stage. The Mazda then took the next three tests on the trot. Habig and White fought back to take stage 5, before Paul van Niekerk and Willemjan Human caused a sensation when they took a couple of shock wins in stages 6 and 7 in their NRC 2 Volkswagen Polo. Only to retire in stage 8. Van Wyk and Habig shared the second and thirds in those tests, before Habig took the final two stages from van Wyk, as the Polo duo took the day by just 14 seconds.

Former champions Guy Botterill and Simon Vacy-Lyle continued their Starlet development en route to a steady third overall ahead of Anton Raaths and Kes Naidoo’s NRC2-winning Ford Escort Cosworth. NRC3 double-winners Gustav Potgieter and Tommy du Toit’s Ford Fiesta R2 was fourth from NRC4 winners Andrea Raaths-Duarte and Isabel Raaths’ Toyota Auris, and Russel Stone and Johnty Brown’s NRC4 Toyota RunX.

Benjamin Habig and Barry White’s double victory aboard their Polo versus Jono van Wyk and Nico Swartz’ retirement and a second place in their Mazda3, sees the Volkswagen duo into the title lead six rallies into the season. The Dunlop-shod South African Rally Championship heads to rounds 7 and 8 of 10 next at the Fouriesburg Rally in the Free State over the weekend of 26 and 27 September.