The chase in the Special Vehicle Category of the Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGRSA) 1000 Desert Race, the second round of the SA Rally-Raid Championship that takes place this weekend, 24 to 26 June, at Upington in the Northern Cape, continued on Day Two and with almost 550 kilometres now something of the past, not much separates the two leading teams.
Former champions, Tim Howes/Gary Campbell (Tim Drew Properties BAT Spec 4) started Day Two leading Class A as well as the category overall with only five minutes and 12 seconds separating them from Trace Price Moor/Shaun Braithwaite (Tip Top Milk BAT Venom). A ding-dong battle ensued on Day Two with Howes/Campbell losing their lead temporarily during the first of the two loops when their vehicle ended up on its roof. After being helped onto its wheels by fellow competitors, the team regained their lead and continue on a clean run. The gap has, however, shrunk to a mere four minutes and five seconds and the battle will continue on the third and final day.
Behind them, some shuffling and changes took place with the leading Class G team in the Side-by-Side Championship, Geoff Minnitt and Gerhard Snyman (Hydro Power Equipment Can-Am Maverick) dropping from third place overall and relinquishing their lead to Werner Mostert and his son, Ian (Moto-Netix Racing Can-Am Maverick SxS). The Mostert family could not complete the racing sections on Day One and battled from the back of the field to take the lead in the class and finish on the overall podium after a trouble-free day.
Minnitt/Snyman stayed on the Class G podium and are currently third while they have dropped to the sixth place overall. SA Rally-Raid newcomers, Glen Theron and Craig Galvin, were the last team in the Special Vehicle Category after Day One, but persevered and have moved into the second place in Class G while they also rounded off the overall top five.
Sandra Labuscagne-Jonck and stand-in navigator Zaheer Bodhanya (KEC Racing BAT Viper), had a successful day in the desert. They are third in Class A and fourth overall. Two more Class A teams managed to reach the finish after a tough day with Lood du Preez/Chris Visser Jnr (Farmers Meat Stryker) finishing fourth in Class A and seventh overall after a solid performance that saw them fighting from the back of the field after not being able to complete the racing section on Day One.
LC de Jager/Rikus Hattingh (Porter) experienced mechanical issues the previous day to finish Day Two in eight place overall, fifth in Class A.
The defending Class G SxS champions, Cecil and Elardus Larney, had to call it a day due to oil pressure problems while Marko Himmel/Francois Schoonbee (King Price Xtreme Can-Am Maverick SxS) could also not complete the day.
On Sunday morning at 08h00, the leading team will take on the third and final day of this year’s TGRSA 1000 Desert Race. Competitors will have to complete a different 170km loop twice with the Start/Finish at the Upington Show Grounds where the Designated Service Park and Race Headquarters are also situated.
Images: Andre Schoeman
