Words: SA NATIONAL OFF ROAD CAR RACING ASSOCIATION
Donaldson Cross Country Championship partner Force Fuel is to sponsor the event in the Pilanesberg on August 8 and 9.
The Force Fuel 450 at Sun City will be round five of the Donaldson Cross Country Championship and is regarded as one of the toughest events on the championship calendar. The race has previously won the Event of the Year accolade and will again provide competitors with a tough challenge.
Force Fuel last year joined Ford and Toyota as partners in the Donaldson championship, and are the official fuel suppliers to the national series and the Northern Regions championship. The agreement between SANORA, which runs the daily affairs of the cross country series, and Force Fuel offers competitors a number of benefits with fuel available for purchase at events by all race teams, support teams and race officials.
The major benefit is the safety aspect, with competitors no longer having to transport fuel to and from events. Other benefits include convenience and lower prices than on fuel station forecourts, with both ULP95 and 50ppm diesel available to competitors.
“We have been delighted with our association with SANORA and the Donaldson series, and sponsoring the Force Fuel 450 at Sun City is our way of putting something back into the sport,” said Force Fuel executive Luke Botha, who is also a competitor in the Production Vehicle category of the series. “We have had huge support from all the competitors, including the Atlas Copco Ford Racing and Team Castrol Toyota factory teams, and we are proud to be a part of a motorsport championship that is progressively moving forward.”
SANORA chief executive officer Richard Schilling said having cheaper fuel supplies available at events had provided competitors with a major cost saving. The agreement between SANORA and Force Fuel was another proactive step.
“This has now been taken a step further with Force Fuel’s decision to sponsor the event at Sun City,” added Schilling. “With a committed overall sponsor in Donaldson Filtration Systems, and partners like Force Fuel, Ford and Toyota our sport is on rock solid ground.”
With Sun City easily accessible from major centres like Johannesburg and Pretoria and surrounding areas, the organisers are expecting huge crowds. The race has traditionally attracted cross country enthusiasts who also like to enjoy a weekend at a world famous resort.
Race headquarters, the start/finish and designated service point for the Force Fuel 450 will again be located at the Sun City resort. Public access to these areas and spectator points along the route will be free of charge.
The qualifying race to determine grid positions will start at 11:30 on Friday, August 8 and the main race on Saturday, 9 August at 08:30.
