Gareth Woolridge back in action for the penultimate round of the Sertões

PHOTO GALLERY

Gaining international experience, improving the communication with the Brazilian co-driver, gathering great results. This year’s Rally dos Sertões have been the race of a lifetime for the 24-year old Gareth Woolridge, son of the South-African cross country legend Neil Woolridge. After winning stage 3 and finishing second the following day with the NWM/X Rally Team-built T1 Brazil Ford Ranger V8 4x4, the driver from Pietermaritzburg suffered a setback this Thursday due to a broken suspension.

The stage between Barra and São Raimundo Nonato was arguably the most difficult of the Sertões. 401 kilometers of sand, rocks, low vegetation in a very hot day – with temperatures above 32 degrees Celsius. Only 16 of the 33 cars that started the day got to the finish line.

“We were leading the race until the previous waypoint, and then we fell into an erosion that snapped our rear suspension, making it impossible to continue, unfortunately”, he said. Woolridge and co-driver Marcelo Haseyama were forced to stop with only 34 kilometers to the finish, and had to be rescued by the NWM/X Rally Team support crew to get to the bivouac in São Raimundo Nonato.

However, Gareth will resume the race this Friday. “Since we had a small chance of winning in our class due to the issue we faced on the first day, the expectations were about gaining experience and learning the most I could. It has been a really valuable experience for me and, with only two stages to go, I will not step back until we arrive in Fortaleza on Saturday”, he told.

This Friday’s stage hosts 226 kilometers against the clock, from a total of 603 kilometers between São Raimundo Nonato and Juazeiro do Norte.

Press Contacts:
Brazil - CLEBER BERNUCI - imprensa@p1media.com.br
South Africa - COLIN MILEMAN - colin@milemanmedia.co.za