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| Copyright © NISSAN |
It was a case of unwelcome deja vu for Nissan in the Nissan Sugarbelt 400, the second round of the Absa Off Road Championship, which took place in the Eston area of KwaZulu Natal on Friday and Saturday.
In a repeat of last year's result, former champions and local heroes Neil Woolridge and Kenny Skjoldhammer (class SP Ford Ranger) took advantage of Nissan misfortune to win, nevertheless former champions Hannes Grobler and Francois Jordaan (class SP Proudly South African Nissan Navara) finished in second overall. Nissan won the manufacturers' challenge for the highest-placed three-crew team with Grobler/Jordaan, Mark Corbett/Juan Mohr (class SP Century Property Developments Nissan Hardbody) and Coetzee Labuscagne/Johan Gerber (class D Raysonics Nissan Hardbody).
Nissan Motorsport's Duncan Vos (a former drivers' champion) and current co-drivers' champion Ralph Pitchford dominated the event, run through the sugar cane farms and gravel roads in and around Eston, until just 40 km from the finish before their Proudly South African Nissan Navara, which had suffered from a slipping clutch for much of Saturday's race, was brought to a standstill with no drive.
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| Copyright © NISSAN |
Vos recorded the quickest time for Friday's prologue, which established the start order for the race, and led the race for over six hours. Team-mate Grobler was second quickest in the prologue and shadowed Vos until just before the halfway point of the race before going off the road and getting stuck in a deep donga. Grobler's 'off' delayed him by some six minutes and he rejoined the race in third place behind Vos and Woolridge. He was closing in on the Ford and was just a minute in arrears when he came across Vos and Pitchford stuck in the same donga that had caught him out.
Grobler went on to finish 3 min 30 sec behind Woolridge. He and Woolridge now lead the drivers' championship after each winning once and coming second once.
"Both cars were fitted with brand new clutches for this event," said Nissan Motorsport general manager Glyn Hall. "Ducan's failed and Hannes also experienced problems with his, but it held out to the finish. We'll be having a good look at the clustches when we get back to the workshop to determine why they failed.
"Apart from the clutches, both cars ran like clockwork and Duncan and Hannes showed, in both the prologue and the race, that they have the pace to win. Duncan and Ralph were in complete control until the clutch failed and Hannes and Francois produced a particularly gritty performance under the circumstances, with Hannes suffering from a torn muscle in his side and Francois battling a heavy cold."
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Nissan privateers had a good day, with Corbett/Mohr fifth overall in their first outing in the ex-Alfie Cox Nissan Hardbody that won the class D championship in 2004, Labuscagne/Gerber seventh overall and Polokwane brothers Jurie and Andre du Plessis 10th overall (out of only 11 finishers) in their BB Auto Group class D Nissan Hardbody.
Next round of ABSA, TOYOTA 1000 Desert Race will be held on 9-11 June.
