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| The racing Rangers took a battering in the first offroad of the season. Photo: Quickpic |
The race was the first leg of the 2014 campaign in the Donaldson Cross Country Championship.
Reigning champions Anthony Taylor and Dennis Murphy were first overall in their class T Toyota Hilux, with team-mates Leeroy Poulter and Rob Howie second overall.
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| A Hilux gets a quick service in the pits. Photo: Marc Bow |
As always, this year’s high-speed route across this scenic part of the Free State was very technical, with barbed wire thrown in just to make it tougher for Gary Bertholdt and Siegfried Rousseau in the lead Ranger.
During the 15-minute service between the loops at the designated service park (DSP) located at La La Nathi Country Guest Lodge, the lead Ranger suffered a setback as it was found that barbed wire was wrapped around a rear CV boot. Despite the mechanics replacing the driveshaft in under seven minutes, it cost the crew around 150 seconds over the allocated service time.
Manfred Schröder and Japie Badenhorst were also slightly delayed with a minor issue, but set off on Loop 2 in third place behind Toyota’s Leeroy Poulter and Rob Howie who moved up to second.
The two Atlas Copco Ford Rangers were inseparable on the second lap, but Bertholdt/Rousseau had to contend with thick dust while trailing their team-mates. Heading into a muddy section they choose a different line, but got bogged down in a deep ditch, which effectively put an end to their challenge — and required a lengthy recovery.
They eventually crossed the finish line ninth in Class T.
Schröder and Badenhorst had a clean run through to the end, securing a hard-earned third overall — which was even more notable as Schröder was drafted in as a last-minute replacement for the team’s injured lead driver, Chris Visser.
The KwaZulu-Natal sugar cane farmer and former cross country champion has had very little time in the race car and he had never driven a left-hand drive vehicle before.
Kobus van Tonder and Freddie Kriel (Unifreight Ford Ranger) retained their fourth position from qualifying, giving Ford two of the top four positions.
Ford Racing team manager Neil Woolridge said despite the setbacks the important thing is we have points in the bag. He was also very impressed with Schröder’s perfomance.
“He hasn’t competed in nationals for a couple of years, and to be on the pace in a new car and take third overall is very impressive,” Woolridge said.
Schröder said the route was great, although the long grass on the first lap had made it difficult to find the road.
“It was much better once it had opened up a bit on the second lap.”
In the T4 Ranger Bertholdt said he and Rousseau were working really well together until the barbed wire snagged their CV boot. Then they came across a mud hole in the dust and chose the left line, “but once in the mud we just slid into the centre of a deep ditch which bogged us down for an hour-and-a-half.
“It took two vehicles to pull us out, and as our race was effectively over we elected to bring the Ranger home to salvage some vital points in ninth position.
“But that’s crosscountry racing and we will be back in the fight at the next one.
“The Ranger was superb, and I have to compliment the team on the way they worked together and fixed the car so quickly. It’s a really professional set-up and I am very proud to be part of the team,” said Bertholdt.
