AC Potgieter takes the laurel at Lake Umuzi rally
Potgieter and Botterill is now tied on points and the whoever finishes ahead of the other in the final round of the SA Rally Championship that will take place in Ermelo on 26 and 27 October, will be crowned the national champion.
SECUNDA – Local racer, AC Potgieter, and navigator Nico Swartz took the honours on their home turf by winning the R2 Class of the Lake Umuzi Rally held on 28 and 29 September.
The team needed to snatch this winner’s title up before Guy Botterill and Simon Vacy Lyle to ensure that they still had a winning chance at the overall championship title.
Botterill in his Toyota Gazoo Racing Etios had been in the SA Championship lead up to the Lake Umuzi Rally.
All this changed when team Botterill’s car rolled out of the rally on stage 10.
Botterill told Motorsport Monday that he was flabbergasted that they had rolled, because they went through the same spot in an earlier stage without incident.
With them out of the race, Potgieter/Swartz were ahead and the race was then on for who would place second and third in the R2 Class.
Mathew Vacy Lyle/Matt Kohler in their Toyota Etios finished second and JJ Potgieter/Tommy du Toit came third in their Ford Fiesta.
The open class was dominated by Rory Eland and Tommy Coetzee in a Subaru Imreza WRX STI, followed by Sybrand van der Berg and Chantelle Burrows in a Toyota Tazz.
Ismail Shermohamed and Pierre Jordaan in a Toyota Yaris sped into third place in the open class.
Team Lunetic from Bethal comprising Lune Snyman and her father, Edward Strydom, came fifth in the open class after experiencing several mechanical setbacks with their car.
Natie Booysen and Johan Smith from Evander won the Classic Class in their Ford Escort MK1.
Potgieter and Botterill are now tied on points and whoever finishes ahead of the other in the final round of the SA Rally Championship that will take place in Ermelo on 26 and 27 October, will be crowned the national champion.
