FORD RACING LOOKING TO IMPRESS IN KZN

FORD SAYS: Team Ford Racing is eager to impress in front of their home crowd with its new diesel powered derivatives at round three of this year’s ABSA Off Road Championship. The Nissan Sugarbelt 400 will take place in KwaZulu-Natal on 15 and 16 May. Centred around the Beaumont Eston Farmers Club the event is sure to attract an enthusiastic audience.



The Ford Ranger 3,2TDCi enjoyed its season debut at the previous event with Neil Woolridge and Kenny Skjoldhammer piloting the model and Thomas Rundle and Hennie ter Stege in the sister SP vehicle. By all accounts the team enjoyed a strong debut and will be aiming to build on their progress on the Sugarbelt event.



“We always enjoy this event,” says Team Manager Woolridge. “The local fans really support us and we’ll be doing our best to give them something to cheer about. The Ranger 3,2TDCi’s had a good debut last time out. We weren’t without problems but that is part and parcel with introducing a new car and we will just have to work through the minor glitches that come our way.”



In 2008 the Ford team enjoyed two podium placings on the Sugarbelt event. With the team based in the area it is an event they hold close to their hearts.



Teammates Rundle and ter Stege who joined the team at the start of the season have settled down quickly into the team and are eager to score points. “Organisers have indicated that we are going to need to work hard for our results,” says Rundle. “They have set out a tight route that incorporates a variety of terrain. We are going to have to be on our game if we want to repeat the strong results we achieved at the previous outing.”



Baphumze Rubuluza and Khulile Vakalisa will represent Team Ford Racing in Class E in a 3.0 TDCi Ranger. “We were pleased to get a podium placing at the previous round in the Eastern Cape. We have a lot of confidence in the car and are looking forward to getting down to business and challenging for top honours in our class,” says Rubuluza.



The action gets underway at the Beaumont Eston Farmer’s Club on May 15.



“The whole team is looking forward to the event. The organisers have put together some challenging route thus far this season and I’m sure they will continue the trend for this event. Nonetheless we are confident of a strong result,” concludes Woolridge.