Grobler wins Toyota Desert Race again

FREDERICK KEBADIRETSE
Staff Writer | Monday September 27, 2010 00:00

 

The South African popularised the Nissan hardbody, locally known as Mantshwabisi, by winning back-to-back races in three consecutive years.

He made history again yesterday when he won the race with a BMW X3 which was making its maiden appearance in the event. Grobler together with his navigator Hennie Ter Stege from team RFS Motorsport resorted to the German model after Nissan pulled out of this year's race citing economic recession.

He did not disappoint with his new toy guiding it to the first position with the help of some exquisite skill and experience. He showed that it was not all about the car engine, but the man behind the wheel.

An elated Grobler said it was payback time as he claimed the title he lost to Duncan Vos of Toyota last year after his Nissan Navara encountered mechanical problems that prevented him from finishing the race. Vos was also driving a Nissan when he won last year.

This year he led for the better part of the second day only to finish third with an embarrassing 22 minutes behind the winner. Vos encountered mechanical problems causing him to surrender his lead to BMW.

Later a tyre problem relegated him to position three where he held on until the end. Many spectators were of the belief that Toyota will definitely win this year after its dominance in the prologue and the first day of the race. The spectators seemed caught up between Grobler and the Toyotas on who to support. But they could not hold their excitement when the German monster came blazing to the finish line, followed by a Toyota driven by Chris Visser nine minutes later. They had to wait another nine minutes for the third car driven by Vos to arrive. Grobler who enjoyed a massive support from the fan base he has built over the years said he felt for Toyota team because they were in the lead for long.

'The new track was tough, but we have always won in the toughest tracks in Botswana. We looked after our car very well and at the end it paid off, we are very delighted. The atmosphere here is always unbelievable, thanks to the supporters,' he said. Responding to a question on his change of vehicles, Grobler told reporters that: 'As long as it has wheels, I will drive it'.

However, it was not an easy run for him as he found himself racing hard behind three Toyotas that gave him a difficult 500km in the opening day on Saturday. He finished the day in an unimpressive position four behind the Toyotas of Anthony Tailor, Vos and Visser.

Yesterday morning, Tailor's car suffered a gearbox malfunction in the first loop and this forced him to retire early.Vos took the lead and it seemed like a two-horse race towards the end of the first loop as he was leading Grobler by two and a half minutes. The BMW never looked back and comfortably extended the lead into the second loop and ultimately to the finish line.

In the special vehicles category, Shameer Variawa and Siegfried Rousseau of Team Total Porter continued their dominance when they won their third title in a row.

Karl-Heinz Sullwald and Quintin Sullwald of Elegent Fuel came second followed by Herman Sullwald and Wichard Sullwald of Team Herman Sullwald.

Thousands of spectators graced the annual event, which falls on the Absa Off-Road Championship calendar. The race changed routes this year starting and ending at Kumakwane and not its traditional start and finish point near Game City Mall in Gaborone.