Adenco 400 route preview

INTERESTING BUT CHALLENGING ROUTE FOR ADENCO 400

Competitors hoping to gently ease into a new season will be in for a rude surprise at the Adenco 400, the opening event of this year's Absa Off Road Championship, in the Western Cape on March 19 and 20.

The event, again based in Darling on the West Coast, is now in its eight year and the organisers have found new bits to add to an already tough challenge. Over the years the route has undergone various changes but, in keeping with a request from the MSA Off Road Car Racing Commission that events should be technical, this year's race will be an even tougher challenge.

"Last year we managed to reduce average speeds by a considerable margin and the leading cars completed the course in just under six hours," said route director Bill Bright from the Cape Peninsula Motorcycle and Car Club. "We have again had great co-operation from landowners and some new bits and pieces have allowed us to introduce some additional hurdles.

"The race will again be run over two 165 kilometre loops, and the changes should reduce speeds. We estimate it will take the lead cars more than six hours to complete the course, and I think we have succeeded in coming up with a route that is both challenging and interesting."

The Donaldson Prologue on March 19 to determine start positions for the next day's race will start at 13:30 from the Darling Sports Club. Donaldson Filtration Systems which last year backed the highly successful Donaldson Nissan team, has joined Ford and Toyota as partners with Absa in the off road championship, and will sponsor all eight prologues this season.

The 96 kilometre prologue will provide competitors with an inkling of what they can expect during the race, and will take crews towards Kraalbosdam on the R315 to Yzerfontein. With good grid positions a high priority for race success, Donaldson Prologues this season are going to provide for some hectic racing.

The race on March 20 will start and finish at the Darling Sports Club. The designated service point will also be located at the club with the route again spectator friendly.

"There are plenty of good spectator viewing points along the prologue and race routes," said Bright. "These are all within easy reach of the start/finish and are accessible via main roads."

-source: charmaine fortune