. . . Zim drivers to test counterparts

of Zimbabwean motor rallying drivers will be put to the test by their counterparts from South Africa and the rest of Africa.
The Sasol Rally is the second round of the eight-legged FIA African Rally Championship series in which three Zimbabweans – Conrad Rautenbach, Jamie Whyte and Craig Green – are registered for this year’s event. And the three will next week head to Nelspruit in the Mpumalanga area of South Africa for the Sasol Rally, which this year also features a strong South African element. Among the entries from South Africa are Schalk Burger (Jnr) and his co-driver Armand du Toit driving their JRM-built Powerlines Africa Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X. They will be joined in the strong 48-car starting line-up by the current South African Rally Championship Privateers’ champion Conrad Rautenbach of Zimbabwe and his new French co-driver Nicolas Klinger, who are also tackling the ARC in their S2000 G-Fuel Ford Fiesta in tandem with their South African campaign.
Burger (Jnr) is hoping to emulate his father’s famous pioneering championship exactly 10 years on, while other South Africans to have claimed the tough African title is current Toyota works driver Johnny Gemmell and current VW works co-driver Robert Paisley who triumphed in their Subaru back in 2002. Now retired, Fernando Rueda and Martin Botha took the title in 2003.
The opening round of the 2011 FIA ARC, the Toyota Zimbabwe Challenge Rally last month saw Burger (Jnr) endure a baptism of fire, retiring his Evo X at the end of stage three after a fanbelt came off in a river crossing.
Undaunted, Burger (Jnr) and du Toit ran the final day’s stages to the west of Harare as car “Zero+” to get some much-needed seat time under their belts. This is the first time Burger (Jnr) has driven a left-hand drive car and the team was well pleased with progress made.
Burger (Jnr) set consistent top three times as the event drew to a close and the Sasol Rally presents South African fans’ only chance to see Burger (Jnr), du Toit and the Powerlines Africa Evo X in action. Conrad Rautenbach and Klinger utterly dominated the Zimbabwe Challenge Rally, blasting the G-Fuel Ford Fiesta to 14 stage wins out of 16.
Their winning margin of 10 minutes was a sensational result and equals father Billy’s tally of four Zimbabwe Challenge Rally victories. Conrad Rautenbach won the ARC title in 2007. Hot on the Ford’s heels should be Zimbabweans Jamie Whyte/Phil Archenoul, the 2009 and 2010 title-holders, who ended second in the Toyota Zimbabwe Challenge Rally last month.
Third in the title chase after an aggressive drive to third in Zimbabwe is South Africa debutant, Rwanda-based Giancarlo Davite and Sylvia Vindevogel in their KAPS Transmissions Subaru Impreza STI. – Sports Reporter/Rallyworld.net.