Pretoria - Day six of the eight-day 2018 Sasol Challenge saw the Dutch team Nuon retake the lead with a single lap more than their rivals on a short 58 km road just outside the small town of Kareedouw.
They are now 22.7 km ahead rival team Tokai, from Japan.
Third on the start line, with 370.9 km for the day and 1 685.3 km total, will be SA’s Tshwane University of Technology.
After working through the night to repair damage on their car, the Swiss team have pulled off a perfect recovery, completing 370.7 kilometres on the road between Port Elizabeth and Sedgefield. They will start fourth when the teams hit the N2 to Mossel Bay on Friday.
The hyper-realistic solar car Reysol from the Hong Kong City University will start fifth, having done 36 kilometres, and high school team Sonke will be right behind them.
SA’s North-West University beat their main rivals in the battle for third, clocking 383.1 km, but a late finish penalty sees them start seventh. This will give TUT and the Swiss Energy Racers a gap to reach Mossel Bay faster, and potentially lap more looped routes than NWU. The NWU’s Phoenix car will need to operate at maximum efficiency on Saturday if they wish to beat TUT – with a little over 80 km between them in total.
Spectators can watch the cars in Mossel Bay from 10am, at which time the educational activities will start at the Langeberg Mall. Mossel Bay and surrounding residents can see the teams do their pit stops, driver changes and loops several times between 10h00 and 14h30, after which teams typically head off for the evening stop. Cars have to be across the line at the Swellendam Showgrounds at 5pm, and will be on display until 5:30pm.
The finish line will be in Stellenbosch on Saturday, 29 October at 3:30pm to 4pm at Die Braak, 3 Blom Street.