Make way for the Polokwane Motor Rally

POLOKWANE – The final round of the South African National Rally Championships heads to Polokwane on Friday and Saturday.

The Polokwane Motor Rally will see double champion, Mark Cronje attempt to add a third tittle to his name in his Ford Performance Fiesta S2000.

But Cronje is well aware of Polokwane’s demanding terrain. He struck a gate post in the early stages on the first day of the rally last year, bringing his title chase to a sudden halt. This then gave championship rival Leeroy Poulter and navigator Elvéne Coetzee in the Castrol Team Toyota Yaris the championship on a platter with one round remaining.

There is a mere 7,5 points separating Cronje and Poulter this year. Poulter needs to repeat his winning feat in last year’s event and hope Cronje does not earn any points. Cronje on the other hand simply need a third place or higher to clinch the national drivers title for a third time.

This will be the second event that Cronje will be partnered with co-driver Gerhard Snyman after the decision was made leading up to the Toyota Dealer Cape Rally in September for regular navigator Robin Houghton to step aside due to unfavourable weight regulations in Class S2000 (the premier class of rallying in South Africa).

For the defending drivers champion Poulter’s navigator, Coetzee, this season has been a success so far. After becoming the first female navigator to win the championship in decades last year, she has all but won the navigator’s championship for the second year running. With Cronje changing navigators for the last two rounds of the season, there is no-one that can overtake Coetzee anymore.

Also be on the look out for local rally drivers and brothers, Jaco and George Baker in their Toyota Tazz.

The rally starts at 13:00 on Friday and continues at 07:00 on Saturday, with the Peter Mokaba Stadium as the starting point.