In welcoming the announcement, Richard Leeke, chairman of the National Rally Commission (NRC), said the commission and its partners – Dunlop, Ford Performance, Sasol, Toyota and Volkswagen – are thrilled to have Imperial Toyota back on board.
What is even more exciting is the revamped format for the Imperial Toyota Tshwane Motor Rally. With assistance from the Tshwane Metro Council the rally is now set to start from a high-profile venue – the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
According to Leeke this will not only be a fantastic opportunity to bring rallying closer to the people, but having the start at this historic and world-renowned venue will also help to lift the profile of the sport. As things stand at the moment technical and safety checks for the rally will start at the Union Buildings from 10:00 on Friday, 14 August. The Executive Mayor of Tshwane, Councillor Kgosientso Ramokgopa, has been invited to flag off the first car at 12:00.
From the Union Buildings the event moves to the area around Cullinan, with four special stages to be run close to the Zonderwater Correctional Services facility on the Friday afternoon. The rally headquarters and central service park will also be situated at the Zonderwater facilities on Friday and Saturday, 14 and 15 August.
The rally promises to be compact and spectator friendly, with easy access from Gauteng, the Limpopo Province and the Highveld region of Mpumalanga.
The event will restart from Zonderwater at 09:00 on Saturday morning, 15 August, with six stages to be completed in the area north of Bronkhorstspruit and Cullinan. Saturday’s stages will also be open to competitors in the Northern Regions Rally Championship. The first car is expected at the finish at the Zonderwater Correctional Services facility at around 15:00 on Saturday afternoon.
“With the sponsorship and new format for this Tshwane based event we look forward to a highly successful Imperial Toyota Tshwane Motor Rally,” Leeke said.
It is going to be a tight race as the Volkswagen rally which took place in the Eastern Cape recently had to be cut short due to poor weather conditions. This means that the championship is wide open. Come and support local motorsport at its best. For more information visit SARallyChamps on Facebook.
SA Rally Exco
