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Castrol Team Toyota 1st and 2nd in Desert Race Prologue

desert sand driving

Castrol Team Toyota tackled the 110 km prologue of the Toyota Kalahari Botswana 1,000 Desert Race on Friday 26 June, and recorded the two fastest times of the day. Leeroy Poulter and navigator Rob Howie pipped teammates Anthony Taylor and Dennis Murphy to the post by a scant 16 seconds.

“We are extremely pleased with the result today,” said Glyn Hall, Team Principal of Castrol Team Toyota, of his team’s performance on Friday. “The thick, sandy conditions, however, allowed the crews in the Special Vehicles to get quite close to us.”

So close, in fact, that Colin Matthews and navigator Rodney Burke of Century Racing finished the prologue just one second behind Taylor/Murphy. Even though the Century vehicle races in a separate class, it may well have an influence on the outcome of the production vehicle race.

“It is important to understand that there are essentially two separate races taking place at the same time – Production Vehicles and Special Vehicles,” explained Hall. “But because we share the route, the two classes invariably influence each other.”

In the Production Vehicle line-up, it is the two Castrol Team Toyotas that lead the way, followed by the Fords of Lance Woolridge and Gary Bertholdt, with Woolridge completing the prologue some 59 seconds slower than Poulter. The Horn brothers, Johan and Werner of Malalane Toyota, are in fifth place for tomorrow’s start, just over three minutes behind the leaders.

The battle in Class S, for production vehicles with engines up to four liters and solid rear axles, saw Toyota Hilux Crew Heinie Strumpher and Henri Hugo post the fastest time – just 19 seconds ahead of Deon Venter and Jaco van Aardt, also in a Toyota Hilux.

The first race day of the Toyota Kalahari Botswana 1,000 Desert Race kicks off at 08:30 on Saturday 27 June, and comprises a route of 500 km around the Jwaneng district. The 2015 edition of the Desert Race concludes on Sunday, with a final 400 km loop in the same area.

Also view:

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