adminThe 27-year-old ace Zimbabwean motor rallying driver has appealed against the decision by Motorsport South Africa’s National Court to exclude him from the results of June’s Toyota Gauteng Dealer Rally.
Rautenbach, of the Green Fuel Team, lodged his appeal with Motorsport South Africa’s court of appeal.
And as a result of his appeal, no champions have been declared yet in the 2011 South African Rally Championship series which ended last weekend with the staging of its eighth and last round of the season – the MTN Polokwane Rally – in Polokwane.
Rautenbach and one of South Africa’s top drivers Johnny Gemmel were disqualified from the Toyota Gauteng Dealer Rally for allegedly breaching the rules of the competition in June.
The two drivers were accused to have conducted a reconnaissance of Stage One of that rally in breach of SSR 193.8.2.2 and SSR 193.14.1.
Rautenbach and Gemmell and their co-drivers were then excluded from the results of the Toyota Gauteng Dealer after it was found that they had reconnoitered Stage One on foot in breach of the rules and regulations.
And the penalty for a breach of SSR 193.8.2.2 and SSR 193.14.1, is that of exclusion from the rally that took place on June 10 and 11.
The MSA National Court then sat and initially rejected the appeal of both top rally drivers but Rautenbach pursued his case, resulting in the MSA announcing yesterday that no championship winner or manufacturer’s champion has been declared in the just-ended 2011 South African Rally Championship.
“MSA wishes to point out that no Championship winner or Manufacturer’s champion has been declared in the SA National Rally Championship.
“An appeal from (Rautenbach’s) Green Fuel Team is still lying with the National Court of Appeal (NCA).
“The outcome of this appeal may have a significant impact on the championship.
“A date acceptable to the parties will be set for NCA 1078 and MSA will endeavour to ensure prompt attention to this matter,” read part of the MSA statement, which was posted yesterday on the website of South Africa’s top motorsport website – Rallyworld.net.
And this might have come as sweet music in the ears of Rautenbach who felt that he was “robbed” of this year’s South African Rally Championship Drivers’ crown following his disqualification from the Toyota Gauteng Dealer Rally.
Rautenbach was in the running for this year’s South African Rally Championship crown after he chalked up three wins during the first seven rounds of the series.
He went into last weekend’s Polokwane Rally enjoying a nine-point lead at the top of the Drivers’ Standings and needed an outright win in Polokwane to walk away with the 2011 title.
But Rautenbach, in a Green Fuel ethanol-powered Ford Fiesta S2000, was forced to settle for fourth place and this saw his nearest title rival, South African Mark Cronje, who officially took second place in this rally, being declared the 2011 South African Rally Championship Drivers’ champion.
And this has all been “put on ice” following Rautenbach’s latest appeal against his disqualification from June’s Toyota Gauteng Dealer Rally.
Online Reporter