THE KZN-based Team Ford Racing enter the last round of the Absa
off-road race with Chris Visser and Japie Badenhorst aspire to take the
championship title at the end of the month after
they won their second successive victory in the penultimate round
of the off-road series at the Human Auto 400 last month.
SA’s Off Road Car Racing Commission moved the final race to
November 23, at a venue still to be announced, to accommodate the large number
of off-road competitors who take part in the 94,7 Cycle Race, which takes place
on November 17.
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| Add Chris Visser and Japie Badenhorst on their way to winning the Human Auto 400 in September 2012. |
Team manager Neil Woolridge will be ensuring that both Class SP
Ford Rangers are again thoroughly prepared and ready to battle for championship
honours.
Of their last race, Visser said the Ranger had performed
exceptionally, which allowed them to claw back some ground in the championship
battle.
Lance Woolridge and Ward Huxtable, in the sister SP Ford Ranger,
ran a consistent race to take seventh place after maintaining a solid pace
through much of the event.
“We made a navigational error in the prologue, which meant we
started in a position that was not necessarily indicative of our pace. It also
left us to contest with substantial dust, one of the disadvantages of a late
start,” said Lance.
Neil Woolridge described the penultimate race by Visser and
Badenhorst as “perhaps their best ever”.
“They were under intense pressure throughout the race — at times
sandwiched between their toughest competitors — but never lost their composure,”
he said.
The Absa off-road series consists of eight events, spread
throughout South Africa and Botswana, each run over a distance of 400 km, with
the exception of the Toyota Desert Race which covers 1 000 km over two days. The
winner is named the South African National Off-road Champion. — WR.
