Toyota Gazoo Racing teams ready for Secunda Motor Rally

Round three of the South African National Rally Championship is the Secunda Motor Rally, which takes place on Saturday and Sunday May 21 and 22.

001-off-my-wheelsBrian Joss – Toyota Gazoo Racing SA is poised for action, and looking forward to an event that proved a firm favourite with fans and crews alike during 2015. Both former champion Leeroy Poulter, partnered by reigning champion navigator Elvéne Coetzee; and Giniel de Villiers, partnered by Carolyn Swan, will be campaigning their Toyota Yaris S2000 rally cars on the event.

“Last year’s Secunda Motor Rally saw Giniel and Carolyn finish in a stunning second place,” says Toyota Gazoo Racing SA Team Principal, Glyn Hall. “Leeroy and Elvéne unfortunately missed out on the podium in 2015, so they’ll be aiming to remedy that this time around.”

Giniel de Villiers and Carolyn Swan: gearing up for Secunda. Picture: Waldo Van der Waal
Giniel de Villiers and Carolyn Swan: gearing up for Secunda. Picture: Waldo Van der Waal

The team has been hard at work since the April’s Sasol Rally, where they attained a second one-two victory on the trot. “The Toyota Yaris is better than ever, and we’re looking forward to another exciting Secunda Motor Rally,” says Hall.

Leeroy Poulter: driving a Toyota Yaris S2000. Picture: Waldo Van der Waal
Leeroy Poulter: driving a Toyota Yaris S2000. Picture: Waldo Van der Waal

In Class S1600, for front-wheel-drive rally machines with engines up to 1 600 cc, defending champions Guy Botterill and navigator Simon Vacy-Lyle (Yato Toyota Etios S1600 R2) have shown their mettle in 2016, by not only winning the two opening rounds of the championship, but also by finishing on the overall podium at the Sasol Rally in April. The pair have been consistently quick over the last three years, winning the championship twice – 2014 and 2015 – and mounting a strong charge from the get-go in 2016.

Rally fans can look forward to 14 stages of rallying at the second Secunda Motor Rally. The event starts with scrutineering on Thursday evening, which proved to be a festive affair during 2014. This is followed by the opening stage at Lake Umuzi at 4pm on Friday, with a second gravel stage following directly after that. Two tarmac stages wrap up the day, with nine stages on Day 2. The rally restarts at 06:30 on Saturday morning, and concludes at the Lake Umuzi Waterfront at 3.30pm..

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