adminseparate missions in different parts of the world where they aim to represent the country with distinction.
Rautenbach will continue his assault on the South African Rally Championship series when he takes part in the Volkswagen Rally in Port Elizabeth while Whyte will also be away in Uganda, competing in the KCB Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally.
The Volkswagen Rally is the fifth round of the 2011 South African Rally Championship in which the privateer Green Fuel Ford Fiesta pair of Rautenbach and his French co-driver Nicolas Klinger has claimed two wins, a podium place and – crucially – a non-finish last time out.
Rautenbach and Klinger also have a 17-point lead in the FIA African Rally Championship series – which the pair is tackling simultaneously with the South African series – with three consecutive wins and a runner-up placing under their belts.
They top the ARC series standings ahead of Whyte and his fellow Zimbabwean co-driver Phil Archenoul who, on Monday, travelled to Uganda where they aim to retain the KCB Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally title at the weekend.
The three-day Ugandan event is the fifth round of the 2011 ARC series but the current championship leader Rautenbach will be missing from the starting line-up tomorrow as he has opted to compete in the Volkswagen Rally in South Africa.
Rautenbach’s absence in Uganda will give Whyte the opportunity to pounce and take the lead in the ARC Drivers’ Standings if he manages to claim first place at the end of the KCB Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally on Sunday.
So, it looks like it’s going to be an interesting weekend outing for both Zimbabwean drivers as they embark on two different missions in South Africa and Uganda.
Whyte and Archenoul’s service van and rally car – a Subaru Impreza – are now all safe and sound in Uganda where the weather is reported to be a bit hot with some rain.
Yesterday saw the first day of recce, giving an early start for the two Zimbabwean “Gladiators” before tomorrow’s opening Super Special Stage.
Whyte from Kampala yesterday that the first day of recce “was good”.
Apart from defending ARC champion Whyte of Zimbabwe, this year’s edition of the Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally has also attracted 1999 African champion Charles Muhangi.
Others include former Uganda rally champions Lwakataka, Ronald Ssebuguzi and Godfrey Lubega; Susan Muwonge, Wycliffe Bukenya, Jas Mangat, Edson Munghereza, John Barlow Lumu, Ismail Lule, Godfrey Nsamba, Mansoor Sanya, Burundian Allan Bethise and the Madagascar pair of Frederic Rakotomanga and Ranarivelo Jean, Satvinder Saini and Ismail Ortega.
The 528km race will dust off with a super special stage at Lubiri Double Circuit tomorrow.
Thereafter, cars will head to Mukono and Lugazi outside Kampala for the second and final legs on Saturday and Sunday.
In a related development, drivers have been told to brace themselves for random drug tests.
The Federation of Motorsport Clubs of Uganda (FMU) president George Kagimu, who is also the event manager, warned that officials would pick drivers at random during and after the race.
“Many people may not even know that motorsport now tests its competitors like any other sport.
“The Pearl Rally is an international event so we should be ready for drug tests. It actually started last year. When they pick interest in a competitor they test them.
“Even last year a Ugandan driver was tested,” Kagimu was quoted as saying in Kampala yesterday.
The tests not only ensure a level playing field and integrity of the sport, but also safety.
This year’s edition has adopted a “Safety First” theme.
Meanwhile, picking a winner for this weekend’s VW Rally in the Eastern Cape will be as easy as winning the Powerball lottery.
There are 19 entries in the premier Super 2000 class for modified two-litre all-wheel-drive cars – nine of which are already special stage winners so far this season.
The factory Toyota Auris pairing of Johnny Gemmell and Scottish navigator Drew Sturrock won in Eastern Cape in 2010, ahead of the works VW Polos of 2010 champions Enzo Kuun and Guy Hodgson and six-times champion Jan Habig and co-driver Ralph Pitchford, and the privateer Ford Fiesta of Zimbabweans Rautenbach and Peter Marsh.
But Gemmell, runner-up in the 2010 championship, hasn’t won a rally since, his best result this year was coming second behind Toyota teammates Leeroy Poulter and Elvene Coetzee in the Sasol Rally in Mpumalanga in April, while Rautenbach has two victories to his credit in the four events run so far.
He and new French navigator Klinger put their names on the season-opening Tour Natal Rally and the Hencom Autobody Rally in Mpumalanga in May.
Poulter and Coetzee have impressed in their first season in the premier class, after winning the 1.6-litre two-wheel drive Class A6 in 2010, and their maiden win took Toyota’s tally of national championship rally successes to a remarkable 100 since 1968.
The factory Volkswagen team will be keen to reverse their fortunes so far this season in their home event. Kuun and Hodgson have been more consistent than fast and their best results to date have been two fourth places with just one stage win. Habig, now with former double champion navigator Robert Paisley, has had five stage wins and was second in the Tour Natal but, uncharacteristically, has had two non-finishes since.
The other two crews in the four-strong official VW squad, former double champions Hergen Fekken and Pierre Arries, and rally rookie Giniel de Villiers and Ralph Pitchford are also seeking their first win of the year.
Fekken and Arries have been consistent performers but unusually have yet to crack a top-three finish and only have a single stage win to their credit.
Red Bull driver De Villiers, winner of the 2009 Dakar Rally and fellow Dakar star Pitchford have made an impressive start to De Villiers’ first season in any form of special-stage rallying and have improved with each outing.
Rautenbach’s success has come in one of four British M-Sport-built Ford Fiestas contesting the South African championship.
Former Toyota off-road and rally driver Mark Cronje and fellow Toyota refugee Robin Houghton have been the combination to beat in terms of sheer pace this year but have not always translated this into good results. They have won 16 of the 54 stages and finished first in the Gauteng Rally in June.
Former Junior World Rally championship driver Jon Williams and Cobus Very, also in a Fiesta, have also won a few stages this year as Williams gets to grips with his new car. Charl Wilken and Greg Godrich have been consistent front runners and have 13 stage wins to their credit in 2011 and are looking for their first win since the final event of 2010, the Gauteng Rally.
Other privateers to watch out for in the S2000 field are the Toyotas of Jean-Pierre Damseaux and Carolyn Swan, and Mohammed Moosa and Grant Martin, the Peugeot 207s of Hein Lategan and Johan van der Merwe, and Visser du Plessis and Gerhard Snyman, and the VW Polos of Nicolas Ryan and Armand du Toit, Japie van Niekerk and Simon Vacy-Lyle.
The rally will start from the Auto Pavilion in Uitenhage at noon tomorrow and head immediately for three intimidating stages in the Longmore Forest near Hankey.
Competitors will then return to Uitenhage for two tar Super Special stages, which will end the first day at around 6pm.
Saturday’s action will start from the Pavilion at 8am with the first stage on gravel at the PE Oval track.
Then tomorrow’s three gravel stages in the Longmore Forest will be repeated before the rally moves to a new tar stage at the Nelson Mandela Bay soccer stadium in Port Elizabeth’s North End.
The final stage will be the traditional shoot-out on the tarred parking area at King’s Beach in Port Elizabeth, with the event expected to finish at around 3pm.
KCB Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally past winners
1998 – Charles Muhangi/Stephan Byaruhanga – EAU Subaru Impreza
1999 – Charles Muhangi/Stephan Byaruhanga – EAU Subaru Impreza
2000 – Charles Lubega/Abed Musa – EAU Mitsubishi Lancer Evo4
2001 – Paul Bailey/Raju Sehmi – EAK Toyota Celica GT4
2002 – John Gemmel/Robert Paisley – ZA Subaru Impreza
2003 – Charles Lubega/Abed Musa – EAU Mitsubishi Lancer Evo4
2004 – Charles Lubega/Abed Musa – EAU Mitsubishi Lancer Evo4
2005 – Riyaz Kurji/Sayed Kadri – EAU Subaru Impreza
2006 – Riyaz Kurji/Sayed Kadri – EAU Subaru Impreza
2007 – Conrad Rautenbach/Peter Marsh – ZW Subaru Impreza
2008 – Jamie Whyte/Phil Archenoul – ZW Subaru Impreza N10
2009 – Riyaz Kurji/Sayed Kadri – EAK- Subaru Impreza N8
2010 – Jamie Whyte/Phil Archenoul – ZW Subaru Impreza N10
2011 Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally entry list
1. Ponsiano Lwakataka (Sub n8) Musa Nsubuga; 2. Jamie Whyte (ZW, Subaru n10) Phil Archenoul; 3. R. Jean Yves (Mad, Subaru n11) r. Rila; 4. Jas Mangat (Eak, Subaru n12b) Gihan de Silva; 5. Fred Rakotomanga (Mad, n11) Adam Yachine; 6. Ronald Sebuguzi (Evo. 9) Cedric Buzabo; 7. Alain Dethise (Bru, Subaru n11) r. Vander Veken; 8. Susan Muwonge (Subaru n10) Edmond Kyeyune; 9. Christakis Fitidis (Rw, n12) tba; 10. Edson Mungereza (Subaru n10) Ronald Luwangula; 11. Nasser Mutebi (Subaru n8) Bashiels Mbogo; 12. Wycliff Bukenya (Evo. 7) Frank Serugo; 13. Godfrey Lubega (Subaru n8) George Semakula; 14. ‘Black Widow’ (Subaru n10) Paul Nsubuga; 15. Charles Muhangi (Subaru n12b) Leon Senyange; 16. Duncan Mubiru (Evo. 5) Paul Musaazi; 17. Satvinder Singh (Subaru n8) Vimal Gajjar; 18. George Richard (Evo. 9) J. Mungoma; 19. Kenneth Ntaro Subaru n10) Shafiq Matovu ; 20. Geofrey Nsamba (Seat Ibiza GT) Edward Kiyingi; 21 Dr. Ashraf Ahmed (Subaru) Daniel Ayebare
Supplementary rally
1. Mansoor Sanya (Subaru) Abdallah Nyombi; 2. Jagjit Singh (Golf Gti) Joseph Kamya; 3. WOI Lule Asmael (Golf Gti) Joseph Lutalo; 4. Haji Abdu Ssempebwa (Subaru) Uarban Mulindwa; 5. Ismael Otega (Levin) John B. Acha; l6. Peter Kalule (Subaru) S. Mugisha; 7. John Barrows Lumu (Subaru) S. Senabulya; 8. Frank Lubowa (Subaru) F. Wamala; 9. Fred Wampamba (Celica) Arthur Lugolobi; 10. Unissan Bakunda (Levin)
Hussein Mukuye
ARC STANDINGS – After round four
1. Conrad RAUTENBACH (Zimbabwe) 93 pts
2. Jamie WHYTE 76 (Zimbabwe)
3. Muna SINGH 24 (Zambia)
4. Schalk BURGER 18 (South Africa)
5. J-Y RANARIVELO 15 (Madagascar)
5= Mohammed ESSA 15 (Zambia)
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