Toyota South Africa Motors and Castrol South Africa enjoy one of the longest-standing and most successful sponsorship partnerships in South African motor sport. The relationship dates back more than 35 years and has seen the two blue chip companies accumulate 10 national rally championships and 16 cross country car racing championships up to 2013.
SA RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP
Toyota recorded its first national championship rally victory in the Moonlight Rally in the Western Cape in 1968, when Jan Hettema and Raggie Schjolberg won in a Corona GTS Coupe. Hettema and Schjolberg went on to win the championship.
Since that first rally win 45 years ago, Toyota has gone on to become the most successful manufacturer in the history of the championship with 103 rally victories, 10 drivers’ championships and 20 manufacturers’ titles up to the end of the 2012 season.
Castrol Team Toyota is contesting the 2013 South African Rally Championship with the brand new-for-2013 Yaris S2000 four-wheel drive rally car. After six rounds and with two remaining Johnny Gemmell and Carolyn Swan are second in the championship with 98 points, 40 behind current leaders Mark Cronje and Robin Houghton. Leeroy Poulter and Elvéne Coetzee are sixth with 70,5 points. A third Yaris, in the colours of Imperial Toyota, is crewed by Giniel de Villiers and Greg Godrich, who are currently fourth in the championship with 84,5 points. Toyota leads the manufacturers’ championship
SA CROSS COUNTRY CAR RACING CHAMPIONSHIP
In 1989 Philip Malan gave Toyota its first off road racing (now called cross country car racing) championship in a Land Cruiser pickup competing in the commercial vehicle category. The following year the legendary Apie Reyneke won the first of his nine titles in the commercial and production categories in a Castrol-backed Toyota Land Cruiser pickup.
In the 24 years from 1989 to 2013, Toyota has won 16 championships with an unbroken run of 11 between 1989 and 1999. A manufacturers’ championship was introduced in 2002 and Toyota has won this title seven times including for the past six years.
In 2013 Castrol Team Toyota has successfully defending the national cross country championships for drivers/co-drivers and for manufacturers. With one round remaining, Anthony Taylor and Dennis Murphy have already made sure of the championship in the Castrol-backed and lubricated four-wheel drive Toyota Hilux SP double cab after winning four of the seven rounds so far. Toyota has already clinched its seventh manufacturers’ championship.
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