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Third Place For Toyota Gazoo Racing In The 2017 Secunda Rally
Third Place For Toyota Gazoo Racing In The 2017 Secunda Rally
It was a tough test for Toyota Gazoo Racing SA's Guy Botterill and navigator Simon Vacy-Lyle, when they took on the 2017 Secunda Rally, round 3 of the South African National Rally Championship. The pair started conservatively on Friday, 19 May, during the opening stages of the event. Even so, they lagged only three seconds behind local lad AC Potgieter after the first five stages.
But the Secunda Rally has developed a reputation as a tough event, and 2017 proved to be no different. "We pushed really hard, and within the two opening stages, we had not only taken back the time but also built up a lead of almost a minute. Things were looking up."
The Toyota Gazoo Racing SA crew had to race through several deep water splashes on the opening stages of Saturday, and even though their Toyota Etios handled the water without immediate problems, some damage was done.
"When we reached the start of Stage 9, the car simply wouldn't start," explained Botterill. Unfortunately, the rules preclude crews from working on their cars inside the time control, and so they had to wait for the stage to start before they could fix their car. It cost them the best part of two minutes, as well as the lead of the rally.
But the pair tackled the next couple of stages with the bit between their teeth, and won Stage 10 convincingly. Stage 11 started in the same vein, but a broken gear linkage mid-stage put paid to their efforts.
All that remained of the 2017 Secunda Rally were two short stages, and despite recording the second-fastest time on the penultimate stage, the Toyota Gazoo Racing SA crew had to settle for third place by the time the rally ended.