The clock is ticking to the midday start of the Volkswagen Rally 2015 on Friday, July 17, at Auto Pavilion in Uitenhage, at the main gate of Volkswagen South Africa. National rally competitors from around the country are currently heading to Nelson Mandela Bay to challenge the 12 stages of the event.
Rally fans are invited to attend the scrutineering event at Tavcor Volkswagen on Thursday, July 16, from 18:00. While the rally cars are scrutineered to check for compliance to rally rules, motorsport fans can take part in a wheel-changing competition which will see the winners treated to a VIP Volkswagen Rally experience for rally weekend.
“We look forward to hosting the National Rally Championship here in the Eastern Cape,” says Mike Rowe, head of Volkswagen Motorsport. “As the headline sponsor, we have been working closely with the Algoa Rally Club who organise the event and are confident there is an exciting round of the championship waiting for both competitors and rally fans.”
“The competition on Thursday evening at Tavcor Volkswagen on the William Moffett Expressway provides an opportunity for us to engage with one of our dealers, customers and rally fans,” he added. “The competition will open with two of our top driver and navigator teams setting a benchmark wheel-changing time – with the fans then setting out to set a time of their own. We’ve added a highlight which the fans will find out at the mid-point of the competition.”
The rivalry between the national rally teams begins at the Motherwell stage at 12:24 with a spectator point located on Daniel Pienaar Street (R334) – this is duplicated as stage five which starts at 16:30. Off to stage two, spectators can catch up with the rally field at Volkswagen’s People Pavilion for the Jachtvlakte stage at 13:15 – with a repeat as stage four at 15:34.
Port Elizabeth Oval Track Raceway (PEOTR) is the spectating location for stage three at 14:00 – this is the Mission Road stage and there are a variety of spectating opportunities available here. After the two repeated stages (four and five), it is time to head to Aldo Scribante Raceway for the final stage of day one, starting at 17:30.
There is an early start for the competitors and rally fans on day two with the field leaving from PEOTR at 06:45 and heading to stage seven, on the farm Buffelshoek where the Spekboom Lapa offers a viewing point on their deck over the flamingo dam at 07:44.
The Longmore Forest is the venue for the Sinkdam/Culturama viewpoint at 08:30 for stage eight and then 11:40 for stage 10. Spectators will enter the forest area from the main entrance road on the Hankey/Patensie road off the N2. The spectator point for stage 10 will become available to the public on the completion of stage eight.
Stage nine is the Mission Road stage and will see the field head back to PEOTR for competition from 09:34 before the serious challenge of the 48km long PPC Ultimate stage (stage 10) in the Longmore Forest.
Both stages 11 and 12 are super special stages to be run at PEOTR from 14:00, allowing the spectators to gather and see a two-car race through the final stages of the event.
“Twelve spectating stages, with repeats to make it as easy as possible to spectate should make it possible for every rally fan to enjoy the Volkswagen Rally,” says route organiser Joe Fourie. “There will be an exciting duel between the teams as they vie for the Volkswagen Rally victory, we invite all motorsport fans to join us for two days of national rally competition.”
On Thursday before the start of the Volkswagen Rally, both daily newspapers (The Herald and Die Burger) in Port Elizabeth will carry an inserted copy of the Volkswagen Rally guide – with copies also available at Auto Pavilion on Friday before the start.
Alan Straton
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