A sponsorship agreement has given the Northern Regions Cross Country Championship a major boost on the eve of round two of the series in Vryburg on Saturday, April 2.
The Northern Regions championship has entered into a sponsorship agreement with Hunky Pallets, a pallet manufacturing company in Olifantsfontein in Gauteng.
Woman driver Suma Smit is managing director of Hunky Pallets and with fellow director Rudie Olivier doing the co-driving competes in Class P of the regional championship.
The sponsorship is significant in that all the proceeds will be used to discount all regional and club class entries by R400 at all the remaining events this season.
“The discounted entries is a major financial saving for competitors in tough economic times, and has been well received,” said Northern Regions chairman Greg Higgins. “Hunky Pallets run two cars in Class P and three in Class B, and it is always a pleasure to see competitors putting something back into the sport.”
Olivier said Hunky Pallets was a company with an acute awareness for social responsibility. Part of this awareness was an involvement with the Women in Motorsport project run by Motorsport South Africa.
“Cross country motor racing has been close to Suma’s heart for a long time,” said Olivier. “We have both derived a great deal of pleasure out of the sport, and are proud to be associated with the Northern Regions series and the Women in Motorsport initiative.
“The sponsorship is our way of putting something back into the sport, and we thought the best way of doing something in this respect was to provide some aid to fellow competitors.”
The second round of the Northern Regions championship will be held in conjunction with the opening round of the Donaldson Cross Country Motor Racing Championship, the RFS Vryburg Endurance, in North West province on April 1 and 2. A bumper weekend of racing also includes the opening round of the SA Cross Country Motorcycle and Quad Championship.
Race headquarters, the start/finish and designated service park for all categories are at the Vryburg Motor Club on the outskirts of the town. Public access to these areas and designated spectator points along the route is free of charge.