Sport Industry Group

SA rallies need review time- 17 May 2010 00:00:00

A leading rally driver has suggested that, in order for South African races to get equal status with comparative events around the world, the race organisers would need to introduce time in the calendar for drivers to review the courses.

Zimbabwe driver Conrad Rautenbach, who is competing in the Sasol South African National Rally Championship this year, said that he is not used to entering rallies without first having completed a recce of the course layout beforehand.

‘Without a recce it is very hard to drive flat out. Recce for me is the big thing. I do not know if it is a cost reason, but it would take less time. All you need is one full day for a recce. We are now spending over three days with the DVD and it is hard for drivers that have learnt to rally on their own notes to drive on someone else's.’

‘I've liked the stages so far. They have been quite different in nature and challenging and that is what rallying needs. I think all the works drivers are very good and fully committed. There is a bit of a gap between the works drivers and the rest of the S2000 field, but it will be interesting to see where Charl Wilken fits in with his new S2000 Ford Fiesta.’

Rautenbach has been a regular competitor in the Junior World Rally Championship and the World Rally Championship in the past few years. He will be in action a Class S2000 Ford Fiesta on the Rally of South Africa on 28th-29th May in the Ermelo area.