The sixth round of the South African National Rally Championship, the Toyota Cape Dealer Rally, will be run in the Overberg area of the Western Cape from 13 to 15 September. The rally will be crucial for the championship hopes of the frontrunners on the log.
The rally is being organized by the Somerset West Motorsport Club and will start at Imperial Toyota at Cape Gate with a short spectator stage on Thursday evening 13 September.
The next day the competitors will to the Caledon and Riviersonderend area where six gravel stages will be held before the overnight stop at the Tsogo Sun in Caledon. On Saturday another six gravel stages will be held in the same area before the rally finishes at the Tsogo Sun. The total stage distance is about 180km.
It is expected to be a closely fought affair with only one point separating the top two competitors in the championship race, Mark Cronje in a Team Sasol Ford Fiesta S2000 and Johnny Gemmell in a Team Castrol Toyota Auris.
Both competitors are looking for their first SA Championship and Gemmell have been on the brink of winning several times, but the title keeps on eluding him, while Cronje lost out last year as a result of a MSA Court of Appeal hearing.
It is the second year in a row that the event will have its headquarters in Caledon and it has turned out to be a popular venue.
In the 1980’s and 1990’s the then government authorities in the Cape banned all rallying from the area and no rallies could be held in the Caledon district.
The Clerk of the Course is Tom Lown of the SWMC and he is assisted by Robert Marle as assistant Clerk of the Course from the CPMCC.
Entries for Toyota Cape Dealer Rally closed on Friday.
