YWP’s rally driver gears up
With only two points separating him from the leader in the national rally, Craig Trott is revved up to take on the S1600 class competition.
The Ford Dealer rally in Cullinan on 16 and 17 August presented a new challenge to the drivers as many of them were on unfamiliar with the territory. The track was a combination of rocky terrain with extremely soft sand. Upon the suggestion of his service crew, he carried two crucial spare wheels as opposed to one which he normally carries. The wheels became essential as he suffered a puncture on day one’s stage 4, resulting in a loss of two minutes and another puncture mid-way through stage 5.|
“If I was not carrying the second spare wheel, I probably would still be stranded on the side of the road. In the process, parts of the right rear suspension were damaged. With very little time to do repair work on the car at the end of the day, I knew day 2 was going to be a long day. I decided to back off the pace and just make sure I got to the end and to avoid further suspension damage and punctures,” said Craig. He finished eighth in the event, his lowest of the season but still managed to collect valuable championship points.
The Toyota Cape Dealer rally in Cape Town on 13 and 14 September proved challenging for Craig. Day 1 of racing was uneventful, yet Craig still found himself in 10th position. “On day one the roads were fairly dry, although there were still a great number of wet muddy patches waiting to catch you out and a few deep water sections waiting to drown the cars.” Due to rear suspension damage in the previous race, new components had to be installed in the vehicle.
The second day proved more fruitful for Craig, as he managed to work his way into third spot before reaching the halfway mark. An error in judgement cost him and his co-driver, Janine Lourens the podium position, finishing the race in fifth.
“With 50 points up for grabs in the last two events, all is not lost. It’s time to knuckle down and get some descent results. Having finished six out of six so far this year, finishing the last two races is imperative. One non-finish and the championship is over. All the handling issues from the previous event need to be sorted out.”
With one of the best finishing records in the rally, Craig is in gear and ready to take on the final races of the season.
– mbalim@dbn.caxton.co.za
