Team Ford Racing experienced their second class victory on the trot at round six of the SASOL National Rally Championship, the OSRAM Rally. Etienne Lourens and Elvéne Coetzee steered their Ford Racing Fiesta ST to victory in Class N3 and 11th place overall.
The OSRAM rally formerly known as the Mountain Trial is regarded as one of the toughest events on the National Rally calendar. However Lourens is no stranger to the treacherous roads of the Southern Drakensberg having taken overall victory on the event in the past.
The rally ace’s experience paid off as he steered his Ford Fiesta ST to class victory and crossed the finish line ahead of all the modified machinery with the exception of the S2000 cars.
“It’s been another great event for us,” says Lourens. “It’s our second victory in succession and the Fiesta ST is now emerging as a strong contender for the class. We are looking forward to challenging for more silverware in the final rounds of this year’s championship.”
Also representing the Ford team were Tony Barbosa and navigator Robbie Coetsee in their Class A5 1.3-litre Ford Ka. The pair steered clear of trouble to eventually cross the line in 6th place in Class A5.
“Once again we’re over the moon with a strong result,” adds team manager Roger Rouessart. “Etienne and Elvéne drove a fantastic race to clinch victory again while Tony and Robbie made good progress on this difficult event.
“We’ve made great strides in improving the reliability and competitiveness of the cars after just six events and we’re looking forward to an exciting end to the season with just two rounds remaining this year. I’d like to once again thank everyone involved for their hard work and dedication,” he concludes.
