The
stars of the FIA World Rallycross Championship have got into the groove ahead
of this weekend’s double-header in Cape Town (7-8 October) with a warm-up race
on the water and a behind-the-scenes tour of a special turtle rehabilitation
project.
The
day began early, with a 5am alarm call for 2019 world champion Timmy Hansen and
rising star Klara Andersson for an appearance on national breakfast television
show, Expresso, alongside World RX of South Africa event chairman, Iain Banner.
The
two Swedes proceeded to join their fellow World RX drivers at the picturesque
V&A Waterfront for a photoshoot against the backdrop of South Africa’s
iconic Table Mountain, in the presence of Alderman JP Smith from event partner,
the City of Cape Town.
Drivers
were subsequently interviewed in front of an enthusiastic and appreciative
audience at the V&A Amphitheatre, before signing autographs and posing for
selfies with fans and then hitting the water for a spot of pre-event
competition.
Andersson,
Hansen, 2019 Cape Town winner Niclas Grönholm, Ole Christian Veiby and
recently-crowned FIA RX2e champion Nils Andersson partnered with members of
local dragon boat clubs – including former world championship paddler, Greg
Pearce – for a head-to-head race in the V&A Marina, with the drivers’
competitive spirits predictably coming to the fore.
The
contest was close, but ultimately, Andersson and Grönholm’s boat, Cougar,
crossed the finish line first to earn the CE Dealer Team by Volvo Construction
Equipment duo initial bragging rights ahead of the upcoming race weekend at
Killarney International Raceway.
After
drying off, the drivers then enjoyed a privileged behind-closed-doors peak at
the Two Oceans Aquarium’s turtle rehabilitation project, led by conservation
manager, Talitha Noble.
Having
learned about the vital work the conservation centre does to rescue,
rehabilitate and release turtles – and the startling statistic that only one or
two out of every thousand sea turtle hatchlings survive to adulthood in the
wild – the Hansens were inspired to adopt two of the baby turtles, each of
which inhabits its own numbered turtle tank while it is nursed to health before
being named upon adoption. With the turtles in pools #21 and #71 both still
available, they christened them, appropriately, Timmy and Kevin.
“Talitha
gave us a fascinating insight into the amazing work done at the turtle
rehabilitation centre,” said Susann Hansen, Team Manager of Hansen World RX
Team. “Her passion for the project was truly inspiring, and I think we were all
quite shocked and saddened to hear some of the facts she revealed about the
effect of pollution in the oceans on the wildlife that live in them.
“As
a team, we are wholeheartedly committed to the United Nations’ Global Goals,
and we believe that motorsport and sustainability do not have to contradict
each other – they can in actual fact complement one another and could and indeed
should co-exist. We wanted to support the conservation centre by adopting
two of the baby turtles, and when we saw that the hatchlings in pools 21 and 71
were still up for adoption, it was clear that it was meant to be.”
This weekend’s electrifying action will
begin at 09:00 local time Saturday (7 October), with every session to be
broadcast live on the pioneering new Rally.TV platform. Monthly and annual
subscriptions can be purchased here,
while tickets are available to buy here or
on the gate.
The
full event timetable and entry list can be found here.
To watch the event trailer video, click here.