With Leeroy Poulter and navigator Rob Howie unbeaten so far in the Donaldson Cross-Country Championship, it is all systems go as the team prepares to take on the Lichtenburg 450 this weekend. Poulter/Howie have driven their Toyota Gazoo Racing SA, in association with Total Quartz, Hilux to victory on each round of the 2016 season thus far, including the grueling Toyota 1,000 Desert Race, which took place in Botswana last month.
Teammates and former champions Anthony Taylor and Dennis Murphy are currently in second place in the season standings, having completed each race of the 2016 season on the podium.
“It has been a dream season for us so far,” says Toyota Gazoo Racing SA Team Principal, Glyn Hall. “Leeroy and Rob have really shown their pace this year, and Anthony and Dennis are as consistent as ever.”
The two Toyota Hilux race vehicles are nearly identical in spec to the vehicles that compete on the annual Dakar Rally in South America, and as such compete in Class FIA on local events.
“This allows us to not only compete in the local championship, but also use the local races as an extended test session for our Dakar effort,” explains Hall.
The Lichtenburg 450, round four of the 2016 championship, is the first standard length race of the season, and follows the Vryburg Endurance (750 km), Vredefort Super Sprint (250 km) and Toyota 1,000 Desert Race (1,000 km). This weekend’s race follows a more familiar format, with a qualifying race of 100 km on Friday, July 29th, and two loops of 190 km each on Saturday, July 30th.