Off Road war of attrition

Published Apr 11, 2011

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Regent Racing Nissan Navara crew Mike Whitehouse and Mathew Carlson scored a stunning maiden victory on a dramatic Toyota Dealer 400, round two of the Absa Off Road Championship.

Bookmakers would have offered generous odds for a Whitehouse/Carlson victory, but a crew that has built up a reputation for reliability and consistency drove with their heads and not their feet to simply grind the opposition into the Mpumalanga mud. Recent good rains in the area turned much of the course into a slippery slide with a couple of river crossings and mud holes wreaking havoc.

The winning team finished 22 minutes ahead of Thomas Rundle and Juan Mohr (Barden Nissan Navara), while reigning champions Chris Visser and Japie Badenhorst completed the podium in their factory Ford Ranger.

However, the top three were favoured by luck, with Duncan Vos and Rob Howie (Castrol Toyota Hilux) having led for much of the event before a late wrong slot cost them time. The pair then rolled out of contention 30km from the finish

Earlier Anthony Taylor and Chris Birkin, in the second Castrol Toyota Hilux, ran into the back of a Special Vehicle competitor, and radiator damage forced them to retire.

There were only eight Production Vehicle finishers. Gutsy performances saw Dewald van Breda/Johan de Klerk (Potch Plastics Toyota Hilux), Gary Bertholdt/Andre Vermeulen (Atlas Copco Toyota Hilux) and Terence Marsh and George Smalberger, in the second Regent Racing Navara, finish fourth, fifth and sixth respectively in the premier SP Class.

Fancied crews who failed to see out the distance were Adenco 400 winners Hannes Grobler and Hennie ter Stege (RFS BMW X3), Lance Woolridge and Ward Huxtable, in the second Ford Racing Ranger and Kobus van Tonder and Freddie Kriel in the UniFreight Ford Ranger.

In the Special Vehicles category, reigning champions Kallie and Quintin Sullwald won a war of attrition in the Elegant Fuel BAT, finishing around nine minutes ahead of Marius and Jolinda Fourie (PHB BAT).

Meanwhile Herman and Wichard Sullwald (Sullwald Racing SVR) took the final podium position after what turned out to be a long day at the office for all the crews. The Sullwald's suffered gearbox problems throughout the race, and finished the final 120 kilometre loop with the car stuck in third gear.

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