Reigning SA Rally champions Benjamin Habig and Barry White opened the new season as they ended the last, with an emphatic win in Pretoria.

The duo claimed victory by over two minutes at the iCam All Tar Rally at Zwartkops Raceway on March 27.

Wet and challenging conditions greeted the 30 crews competing in Round 1 of the championship, but driver Habig and navigator

White proved equal to the task. The experienced pair won six of the eight stages in their NRC1 Volkswagen Polo to comfortably seal the season’s first chequered flag.

“It was good to be back behind the wheel, and it was a totally different take on rallying,” said Ballito’s Habig.

“An all-tar event is something new for many of us. The rain certainly kept us on our toes and left very little room for error.”

White echoed the positive sentiment.

“We had a great event and are super happy with our overall performance today,” he said.

“We’ve bagged some very valuable points in what is shaping up to be a highly competitive season.”

Habig closed by praising the performance of the car.

“A huge thank-you to our entire support crew, and especially to my dad, Jan Habig, for providing us with such reliable equipment to rally competitively.”

The next round of the SA National Rally Championship moves to the Western Cape, with a mix of gravel and tarmac stages lined up at the Cape Swartland National Rally on April 24 and 25.