News

Habig leads Gauteng Rally

01 Jun 2013

Jan Habig and Robert Paisley (Basil Read Ford Fiesta S2000) were leading the Toyota Dealer Gauteng Rally at the end of the first day, with a time of 57:29.9.

Habig and navigator Paisley found themselves in a tight tussle with Johnny Gemmell and Carolyn Swan in a Castrol Toyota Yaris. At the end of Day 1 Gemmell, who was only a few seconds ahead, received a one-minute penalty, elevating Habig to the top of the leader board. Unfortunately official times posted by the organisers were incorrect.

After five special stages held in the heart of Gauteng, Habig and Paisley were leading by 28.7 seconds ahead of former Dakar Rally winner Giniel de Villiers and Elvéne Coetzee, with Henk Lategan (Sasol Polo) a further 30,4 seconds off the leaders and Gemmell a further 9.1 seconds behind Lategan.

"We are happy to be leading the event," said Jan. "We were plagued with overheating problems as we had to deal with grass clogging the radiator. We have managed to sort this out at the last service, and look forward to the final five stages that will run tomorrow," he added. "Other than the overheating, the Fiesta has been responsive and reliable as always. The S2000 class is extremely competitive, and every second counts. I think tomorrow everyone will be giving it their best shot, and our objective is going to be to maintain our position to the end."

Ford has once again been dominant on the SA Rally championship this year, and the Basil Read Team will be charging full steam ahead to make it three wins for Ford. The Gauteng Rally will finish on Saturday afternoon at the Rallystar track.

>> Get more news stories here
 

Home | Latest News | Motorsport Career | My Rally Car | Photo Gallery | Contact Us | Links