Taylor, Murphy and Toyota score impressive win
Castrol Toyota Hilux crew Anthony Taylor and Dennis Murphy scored their second win of the season on the Nkomazi 450, round three of the 2014 Donaldson Cross Country Championship, at the weekend.
DOMINANT. SA champions Anthony Taylor and Dennis Murphy (Castrol Toyota Hilux) charge to overall victory in the weekend’s Nkomazi 450 Cross Country race. Picture: Quickpic.
Most of the cheers, however, were reserved for home town crew Johan and Werner Horn, in the Malalane Toyota Hilux, who had the local community in raptures with a second place finish.
The final podium place went to Atlas Copco Nissan Navara pair Johan van Staden and Mike Lawrenson after a steady drive. It
was their best performance of the season on a tight and tricky route.
There was also a season best from fourth placed Mike Whitehouse and George Myburgh in the Regent Racing Nissan Navara.
They finished a comfortable 75 seconds ahead of Deon Venter and Ian Palmer, in the 4×4 Mega World Toyota Hilux, who grabbed their second Class S victory in a row.
Venter and Palmer were well clear of the factory Atlas Copco Ford Racing combination of Manfred Schroder and Japie Badenhorst.
After starting 12th on the road Schroder/Badenhorst salvaged a sixth overall and fifth in class to leave the overall and Class T championships poised on a knife edge.
Next up were Bloemfontein crew Louw de Bruin and Riaan Greyling in their diesel powered Ruwacon Ford Ranger, who were second in Class S.
They had only nine seconds in hand over Thomas Rundle and Brett Cummings who were having their first outing of the season
in their DMACK Barden Toyota Hilux.
Behind them the top 10 was completed by former SA champions Jannie Visser and Joks le Roux in a RFS Toyota Hilux, who were third in Class S; and the Regent Racing Nissan Navara of Terence Marsh and former Bafana Bafana captain Neil Tovey.
Class D saw newcomers Dewald and Anton Nienaber make an auspicious start with a win first time out in the ex Malalane Toyota Land Cruiser.
They were the last of the classified finishers, with no Class E crew making it to the end of the Nkomazi 450.
v Multiple SA motorcycle champion Brian Capper and Jaco Swart (Regent Racing Polaris) scored a comfortable win in the Class G or Side by Side category.
Second went to Gareth Woolridge, with Werner Mostert and Henno du Plooy third in their Moto-Netix Polaris.
