[ad_1]
PARIS, South Africa, November 12, 2022 – The 2022 South African Rally Championship (SARRC) came to a dramatic end this weekend in extremely challenging conditions, but the (Neil Woolridge Motorsport) NWM Ford Castrol Team finished their season on a high as Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer (#277) took their first overall race victory in the mighty Ford Ranger FIA T1+ with EcoBoost V6.
Heavy rain in the lead-up to and throughout the race weekend caused treacherous mud throughout the scheduled race route around the town of Paris in the Free State. Competitors were scheduled to complete 700km in two separate events on Friday and Saturday, but organizers had to significantly shorten the route on both days due to deteriorating conditions, resulting in only 180km of the event being completed.
NWM Ford Castrol Team Performance
Gareth and Boyd overcame slippery and unpredictable farm roads to finish sixth overall on Friday. They then made Saturday’s race their own, dominating the short 12km qualifying sprint and producing a flawless drive to record their first overall win in the premier class.
“We’re delighted to win because Boyd and I have been trying to get our first win for at least 10 years,” Gareth said. “I’m very happy to finally come together in the most difficult conditions we’ve ever competed in.
“It’s been a tough year, with some small technical issues that have let us down, despite Boyd and I having had one of our cleanest seasons,” Gareth added. “We have taken a big step forward with our T1+ Ranger, as we proved at the previous event and this weekend in Paris. So next year, I think we’re in good shape for even bigger and better things.”
Teammates Lance Woolridge and Elven Vonk (#234) led the NWM Ford Castrol team on Friday, finishing fifth overall. After setting the fourth fastest time of Saturday’s qualifying loop, just 14 seconds off leader Ranger, it looked like it was going to be an exciting battle for the final podium in this year’s championship.
Touch conditions
However, they were one of several top crews that got stuck about halfway through the race cycle. With the help of the #TeamHilux team of Eben Basson and Leander Pienaar, Lance and Elven were able to pull their stricken Ranger out of the bog – and were rewarded for their tenacity by coming home fifth in the FIA T1+ class and 14th overall.
“I didn’t think the conditions could get any worse than yesterday, but it was manic out there today,” Lance said. “It was so slippery that we had to start braking 600-700 meters from the turn, and then just tiptoe around the turn.
“We got stuck in a plowed field where two Toyotas ahead of us had already passed, and when I got out of the car, I fell to my knees in the mud,” he added. “Elven and I didn’t want to slow down the top teams, so we let them all go, and then Eben and Leander, who won the championship in their class on Friday, stopped and pulled us out, and we had a clean streak to the end.”
Although they have endured a difficult season with several non-finishes, Lance is optimistic about the development and progress of NWM Ranger. “We have been working very hard throughout the year and have achieved significant performance gains with the extensive development of our new T1+ Ranger. The results of the last two races and Gareth’s win today show that everything has worked and I am extremely proud of the team,” he said. “With the way we finished this season, I’m hoping we can carry that over into next year.”
For NWM team manager Neil Woolridge, it was a fantastic way to end this year’s championships despite the terrible conditions. “It was an incredible weekend,” he said. “I looked at the weather before we left Pietermaritzburg and knew it was going to be tough, but nobody knew it was going to be this tough.
“I’m very proud and pleased to see both of our Rangers finish in these extremely difficult conditions, with so many of our competitors struggling. We didn’t have any problems with our cars all weekend which is so nice and today’s win makes it very special for the whole team,” he said. “We’ve spent many long hours, days, weeks and months testing and developing our all-new T1+ Ranger this year, and to finally see it all come together has been incredible. This is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our NWM team, as well as the support of our partners and sponsors, especially Ford and Castrol.”
Posted by Ford South Africa on Quicpic News
For more local rally news and the South African Rally Raid Championship, follow our motorsport page.
[ad_2]
Source link