Teams in the Special Vehicle and Side x Side National Championship categories of the 2019 South African National Cross Country Series (SACCS) will have another chance to score points towards their title onslaughts when they take on the Bronkhorstspruit 400 on Friday and Saturday, 2 and 3 August. This event forms the fourth round of the series and with the season now at the halfway mark, exciting racing is on the cards as competitors will give it their all to ensure good results and valuable points.
The overall and Class A leaders, Lance Trethewey/Adriaan Roets (LT Earthmovers BAT) will attempt to continue their winning streak and add another victory to their tally. Trethewey/Roets have been victorious at each of the previous events and another victory will add to their spotless record. Although they have a comfortable points lead ahead of John Telford/Victor Ntsekhe, who will miss this event, they will have to keep their momentum going as they have not yet secured the titles.
With the names of Telford/Ntsekhe not on the entry list, the young brothers, Taahir and Talha Moosajee (Dunlop Stryker) have an ideal opportunity to overtake them in both the overall and Class A standings. The adventurous young team have shown they can compete with the more experienced competitors and another good result will be the perfect reward for their determination.
The family will support the Moosajees as Rayhaan and his son Lais Bodhanya (PSi Trading Jimco) will also be in action. The Bodhanya team, of which Lais (18) is the youngest competitor in the Special Vehicle category, has not scored any points yet and the Bronkhorstspruit 400 might just see a turn in their fortunes.
The husband and wife team of Sandra Labuschagne-Jonck and Jaco Jonck in the Total Agri Porter will also hope to add points to their tally as they could not manage to score points in Botswana. Sandra, the defending overall and Class A Navigators’ Champion, is still getting to grips with her driving duties and will make full use of the opportunity to gain more experience in the driver seat.
Clint Gibson/Alaric Smith (Dirt Sport Stryker) missed the season opener, but good points in Botswana at the recent Toyota 1000 Desert Race, gave them a good push into the overall and Class A top five. They will be aiming for the podium and that could see them moving up the championship ranking.
In Class P, Nic Goslar/Andrew Massey (SA Clinics Zarco), who also missed the season opener, will be looking for more solid results to help them cement their lead in the Class P championship. Their opposition will be in the form of Botswana driver Lepsy Mosope and navigator Stewart van Graan, who got back into the navigator seat after sitting next to his father in Botswana in 1989. Mosope/Van Graan finished the recent TDR 1000 on the Class P podium.
In the Side x Side National Championship (SxS) where all competitors compete with the capable Can-Am Maverick models will be ready for the action. Regular participation, scoring and winning see the Mostert brothers, Werner and Leon, going to Bronkhorstspruit with a comfortable lead in the new National Championship. The paraplegic young driver Wickus Haasbroek and his navigator Jurgens Smith moved onto the podium after three successful days in Botswana and they will be looking for more of the same.
Christo Rose/Dirk Swart currently third in the standings and Markus Labuscagne/Neil Putter will miss the event. Dewald van Breda/Johann du Toit who also competed in Botswana this year are hooked and back for more.
The Bronkhorstspruit 400 starts on Friday, 2 August at the Soetdoring Function Venue on the outskirts of Bronkhorstspruit where the race headquarters, start/finish and designated service park (DSP) will be situated. After the official administrative checks have been completed, competitors will tackle a 60km qualifying race that will determine the starting order for Saturday’s main race.
On Saturday, 3 August the first vehicle will be out of the starting blocks at 08:00 and teams will take on a 180km loop. After completing the loop once, they will return to DSP for a 30 minute compulsory de-control before taking on the loop again at 12:00. Enthusiasts can get spectator guides from race headquarters at Soetdoring Function Venue where food and refreshments will also be available during the course of the weekend.
The Bronkhorstspruit 400 can also be followed on the RallySafe App and can be downloaded free of charge for iOS and Android devices. Maps, standings and event information is available on the App.