Team Sasol re-wrote history this weekend, 22 -23 October 2011, at the Polokwane Rally, when they charged across the finish line and claimed the title as South Africa’s National Rally Champions, making Mark Cronje and Robin Houghton the first privateer rally team to win the championship in 45 years.

 
The rally proved to be a grueling battle of the fittest, where the skills of the drivers and the performance of their vehicles were put to the test. The rally returned to Polokwane after many years, ensuring a level playing field for all competitors. Team Sasol’s in-car preparation and commitment were the driving force behind their success.
 
Trailing behind in the championship were Conrad Rautenbach and Nicholas Klinger in their privateer entry Fiesta S2000 and in third place the Volkswagen Motorsport entry of Enzo Kuun Guy Hodgson. The Sasol team set the pace throughout the 2011 rally championship, winning a hat-trick of events out of eight rallies, stifling the 27 competing teams.
 
The last privateer team to win a South African National Rally Championship was in 1966, when driver François Tucker and co-driver Raggy Schjolberg drove their Volvo to championship status.
 
“It has always been my dream to win the National Rally Championship in the premier S2000 class, and today is a day that I will treasure forever. The determining factor of winning a rally is the commitment and understanding between the driver and the navigator, and we’re thrilled with this result. My 2003 World Go-Karting Championship win now comes second to the achievement of winning the South African National Rally Championship due to level of competitiveness within class S2000.” says Cronje.
 
Team Sasol competes in two state of the art class S2000 Fiestas that serve as real time laboratories. Running on Sasol Turbo Fuel and Techno Oil, Team Sasol have pushed themselves and their cars to the extreme. The second team is driven by Jon Williams and navigator Cobus Vrey who came in tenth position.
 
The Polokwane region is renowned for contours that create lift under their gravel tyres. The high speed sections of the event coupled with the very slippery road surface add to the degree of complexity, ensuring that only the skilled stand on the podium at the finish
 
Alan Cameron, Managing director at Sasol Oil says, “We are elated with the drivers’ results as they maintained composure during the nail-biting legs. The new vehicles embody the technology and innovation that demonstrates how effective Sasol’s fuels and lubricants are when pushed to peak performance during the rallies.”
 
Sasol has been involved in motorsport since 1962 and has over the years been considered as the pioneer in racing fuel development within the motor industry. At its state of the art testing facility in Muizenberg, Cape Town, Sasol invests extensively in fuels and oil research and development.
 
The company’s involvement in motorsport extends to track racing with Team Sasol Subaru, piloted by super-star driver Hennie Groenewald and Richard Pinard, whose next performance will be on the 5th November 2011 at the Zwartkop tracks in Pretoria.
 

Mark Cronje and Robin Houghton