Former multiple SA National Rally champions Guy Botterill and co-driver Simon Vacy-Lyle will be fielding a new, locally built and developed Toyota Starlet at the Cape Overberg Rally this weekend.
The Toyota Gazoo Racing SA crew will be competing in Class NRC1 as they take on the opening two rounds of the championship this weekend.
The new car packs a 2.0l turbocharged petrol engine which drives all four wheels via a sequential gearbox. A Motec engine control unit is used to managed the electronics, while Reiger dampers and Alcon brakes take care of the suspension and stopping power. The rally Starlet conforms to all the safety standards specified by the FIA.
“We are very excited to finally take the Starlet rallying,” says Botterill.
“The car has been in development since early last year and it is fantastic to see the state-of-the-art machine ready to go. We’re very proud of what we’ve achieved with this car, having fully built and developed the car right here in SA.”
The Cape Overberg Rally will take place on the fast and smooth roads in the area surrounding Bredasdorp. This event is known for the high speeds competitors achieve thanks to the flowing nature of the roads in the area and has earned the moniker ‘The Overberg Grand Prix”.
This weekend’s rally consists of eight stages on Friday, 20 May, with seven more on Saturday. The event will get under way with a 12km stage that kicks off at 10.45am on Friday, before winding its way through the surrounding area and ending late on Saturday afternoon.
“We can’t wait to get under way with the new car,” said Botterill.
“As with any new car, we expect some teething challenges, but we are confident we have a solid machine that will be competitive from the first stage.”
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Homegrown Toyota Starlet ready to tackle the Cape Overberg Rally
Image: Supplied
Former multiple SA National Rally champions Guy Botterill and co-driver Simon Vacy-Lyle will be fielding a new, locally built and developed Toyota Starlet at the Cape Overberg Rally this weekend.
The Toyota Gazoo Racing SA crew will be competing in Class NRC1 as they take on the opening two rounds of the championship this weekend.
The new car packs a 2.0l turbocharged petrol engine which drives all four wheels via a sequential gearbox. A Motec engine control unit is used to managed the electronics, while Reiger dampers and Alcon brakes take care of the suspension and stopping power. The rally Starlet conforms to all the safety standards specified by the FIA.
“We are very excited to finally take the Starlet rallying,” says Botterill.
“The car has been in development since early last year and it is fantastic to see the state-of-the-art machine ready to go. We’re very proud of what we’ve achieved with this car, having fully built and developed the car right here in SA.”
The Cape Overberg Rally will take place on the fast and smooth roads in the area surrounding Bredasdorp. This event is known for the high speeds competitors achieve thanks to the flowing nature of the roads in the area and has earned the moniker ‘The Overberg Grand Prix”.
This weekend’s rally consists of eight stages on Friday, 20 May, with seven more on Saturday. The event will get under way with a 12km stage that kicks off at 10.45am on Friday, before winding its way through the surrounding area and ending late on Saturday afternoon.
“We can’t wait to get under way with the new car,” said Botterill.
“As with any new car, we expect some teething challenges, but we are confident we have a solid machine that will be competitive from the first stage.”
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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