There was no stopping Ballito rally driver Benjamin Habig and navigator Barry White from dominating the final event of the 2024 South African National Rally Championship (NRC) in Dullstroom at the weekend.

Despite a serious mechanical setback, the duo pressed on to win 11 of the 14 stages across the two-day endurance event. Leading from start to finish, it was a bumpy ride to the chequered flag, however. The VW Polo crew led TRACN4 Rally leader Chris Coertse and Carolyn Swan by 27 seconds at the end of day 1.

The next day Habig and White surged further ahead, opening up a commanding 2min 47sec lead before a malfunctioning turbo boost pipe threatened to throw a spanner in the works at the beginning of Stage 10.

“We stopped and attempted to repair it, but the clamp would not stay on,” said White. “So, with service a further two stages away, we decided to drive it as fast as we could with limited power and no turbo boost.”

Their support crew managed to fix the problem, but a one-minute penalty put them nine seconds behind Coertse and Swan. Two flawless stages of driving saw the North Coast pair edge out Coertse and Swan by 37 seconds in the final showdown.

“We made a very quick decision,” said Habig. “The top spot of the podium was still open, and we were determined to meet the challenge. We are so grateful for our team, who gave us the most amazing car this weekend. It felt fantastic.”

The North Coast racers won three rallies, claimed two second places and a third spot in their six NRC 1 events this year. The VW team finished second overall in the 2024 NRC 1 standings. Habig finished third overall in the Driver standings, while White finished fourth overall in the Co-Driver category.

Habig attributed his team’s success to his father, who built the rally car, but he rued missing the first rally of the year in Cape Town.

“A huge thanks to my dad, who has left nothing to chance. The car he built is a masterpiece. Unfortunately, missing the debut in Cape Town earlier in the season really put a dent in our championship challenge as it counted for two rounds in a limited field.”

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