The Volkswagen Sasolracing team heads to KwaZulu-Natal for round one of the 2015 national rally championship, the Tour Natal Rally on Friday and Saturday, February 27 and 28.
To start off the new season, the Volkswagen Sasolracing team will be showcasing their new rally livery with Hans Weijs Jnr and Björn Degandt, Henk Lategan and Barry White and Gugu Zulu and Pierre Arries rallying their Volkswagen Sasolracing Polo S2000s.
The new Volkswagen Sasolracing livery serves to highlight the renewed strength and optimism in the team, ready to tackle the season and stamp their authority on the stages of the 2015 national championship.
“It is a new season with a new set of challenges,” says Mike Rowe, head of Volkswagen Motorsport. “The Volkswagen Sasolracing team ended the 2014 season strongly, with Hans and Björn winning the final event. With a great deal of work done during the off-season, the Volkswagen Sasolracing team will be well-positioned to make a commanding start this year.”
Volkswagen rally team members have won the Tour Natal event seven times since 2000, with their sights firmly set on another victory this year. The rally will see the Volkswagen Sasolracing team tackle 11 stages over the two days, with six stages on day one and five more scheduled for the second day.
“Hans and Björn are expected to start off strongly in KwaZulu-Natal,” says Rowe. “Two seasons of competition at the highest level of SA rallying will see Henk and Barry highly competitive this year. Gugu and Pierre are a new combination and may take a rally or two to build a rhythm. I am confident that all three of the Volkswagen Sasolracing Polo S2000s will feature strongly this season, right from the very first event in KwaZulu-Natal.”
The Volkswagen Sasolracing team will compete for honours over a distance of 178km, with the sugar cane fields of the KwaZulu-Natal area being a signature sight for competitors and spectators at this event.
“Our goal is to make a strong start to the season at the Tour Natal,” says Rowe. “Fast stage times, consistent performance and a national rally result that will start a campaign which sees the Volkswagen Sasolracing team challenging for another national rally title this season.”
