Nissan trio dominate series

Duncan Vos and Nissan team mates Ivar Tollefsen and Hannes Grobler have a lock on the first three places in the Production Vehicle overall and premier SP Class standings in the Absa South African Off Road Car Racing Championship.

The championship standings mirror Nissan's domination of the season so far, with the squad scoring wins on all three events run to date. The winners of two of those events, Duncan Vos and Ralph Pitchford, top the overall and SP Class standings. Vos and Pitchford, who overcame starting 55th on the road to finish third on the recent Sugarbelt 400, top the standings by 19 points from Norwegian Ivar Tollefsen and his British co-driver, Quin Evans, who finished fourth on this year's Dakar Rally. Tollefsen and Evan have been regulars in the series for the last three seasons, and are knocking at the door of a maiden win. So far this season the pair have been models of consistency.

A win on the Sugarbelt event in KwaZulu-Natal lifted veteran former champion Hannes Grobler and Juan Mohr into third place in both championships. It was their first win of the season with Mohr the reigning co-drivers' champion.

Fourth and fifth overall in the two championships go to Toyota crews. The consistent Chris Visser and Japie Badenhorst, in the RFS Toyota Hilux, are seven points behind Grobler/Mohr and have a 13-point cushion over Hein Lategan and Chris Birkin in the works Castrol Toyota Hilux.

The top positions in the SP Class standings are the same as in the overall points. The only difference is a slight reduction in the difference between the top five crews. Nissan's dominance so far is also reflected in the prestige South African Manufacturers' Award. At this stage Nissan has a 17-point lead over perennial rival Toyota which is the reigning champion.

Three wins on the trot have given the father-and-son pair of Cliff and Louis Weichelt, in the N1 Toyota Hilux, a tight hold on the Class D championship. They have a commanding 24-point lead over newcomers Heinie Strumpher and Hendrik van der Linde in the Micaren Toyota Hilux. Only two points, however, separates Strumpher/van der Linde and third-placed Dewald van Breda and Johan du Toit in the Northam Toyota Hilux. Van Breda and du Toit campaigned in Class E in 2008 and were Rookies of the Year.

Two wins in three events has given Deon Venter and Ian Palmer, in the Megaworld Toyota Hilux, a comfortable lead in Class E. A maiden national win for team mates Pikkie Labuschagne and Rikus Erasmus, in similar car, on the Sugarbelt has lifted them into second place. Third are reigning champion Jannie Visser and Joks le Roux in the RFS Toyota Hilux. They have picked up two third places so far this season, and trail Venter/Palmer by 30 points.

The next event on the calendar is the Four Wheel Drive Club's Toyota 1000 Desert Race in Botswana from 19 to 21 June. It is the only marathon event on the calendar and a highlight of the season.