Zimbabwe’s motor rally hot shot Conrad Rautenbach romped to victory at the 2011 Toyota Zimbabwe Challenge Rally on Sunday to get his campaign in the FIA African Rally championship off to the best possible start.

Rautenbach and his new French navigator Nicolas Klinger finished with the best times in 14 of the 16 gruelling stages in their Ford Fiesta S2000 to finish with an overall time of 159,35 minutes.

The victory was also special for the 27-year-old Rautenbach who in the process equaled his father’s record of four titles having previously won the challenge for three consecutive years between 2005 and 2007.

Last year’s ARC champion Jamie Whyte and his co-driver Phil Archenoul finished second in their Subaru Impreza in a time of 170,13 to pip the Rwandan pair of Giancarlo Davite and Sylvia Vindevogel  who finished another 18 seconds back.

In an interview after the race a delighted Rautenbach said: “The rally went on well for us without any problems and it was really great winning it this year.

“It was quite difficult yesterday (Saturday) at Ruwa Country Club because of the rain and the river crossing but today was fine and we managed to win most of the stages without any problems.”

Rautenbach was also full of praises for the country’s first and only female motor rally driver, Laureen Marufu who finished in sixth position in her Toyota Corolla.

“It’s great that she’s doing well as it is only her second year in the challenge and it shows that anyone can achieve as she has done if they love the sport. It’s also an encouragement to everyone who loves that sport that they can do well,” Rautenbach said.

Marufu completed all the stages of the challenge for the second year in a row alongside her navigator Clint Ashdown as she saw 10 other hopefuls fail to finish.

“Managing to complete this rally for the second year now makes me feel great because rallying is something that I have a passion for and hopefully we will be able to do the African Rally championship,” Marufu said.

The Zambian pair of Muna Singh and David Sihoka came fourth, while veteran driver Richard Robinson and his co-driver Colin Schreiber finished in fifth position.

Of the 16 cars that were flagged off in the capital on Friday, only six managed to last the distance with the other 10 failing to complete the challenge because of mechanical problems.

The first half of the second day of the 2011 Toyota Zimbabwe Challenge Rally saw a decimation of numbers, with six cars out of contention through mechanical and engine problems. Rowan Whyte and Craig Archenoul, having been unable to finish Friday’s opening super special stage and going out of the rally on day one.

By lunchtime on Saturday six more were out – Craig Green and Mike Exton; Chase Attwell and Miles Skinner;  Mohammed Essa and Moses Matovu; Schalk Burger Junior and Armand du Toit; Stuart Haddon and Dave Milner; Michelle Yorke and Steve Murton.

Sunday’s action sees the remaining field move out to Norton, where rallying will be concentrated on forest roads around the Norton Country Club. Another super special stage in the open area outside Rainbow Towers will end the rally, with a ceremonial finish and prize-giving on the ramp at Rainbow Towers.

Hanging in and hoping for consistency and competitiveness are Jamie Whyte and Phil Archenoul, last year’s Challenge champions and winners of the FIA African Rally Championship for 2009 and 2010.

Rautenbach and Klinger never looked like relinquishing their lead from the first day on Friday when they won the super special stage at Donnybrook Motorsport Complex.

Former national champion Craig Green and his co-driver Mike Exton, 2009 champion Chase Attwell and Mike Skinner, Stuart Haddon and Dave Milner, Michelle Yorke and Steve Murton and Big Chitima and Amos Chamunokara completed the list of local drivers who fell on the way side on Saturday.

Foreign drivers also found the going tough as Zambian Mohammed Essa and Moses Matovu; South African Schalk Burger Junior and Armand du Toit also pulled out, the husband and wife pair of Jess and Sasha Watson and Ian Howden and Gary Kirk also went on to pull out.

The full results were:

1. Conrad Rautenbach / Nicolas Klinger – Zim/France – Ford Feista S2000 –  2:39:35
2. James Whyte / Phillip Archneoul - Subaru - Zimbabwe - +638 seconds
3. Giancarlo Davite / Sylvia Vindevogel  - Subaru -Rwanda - +655
4. Muna Singh / David Sihoka  - Subaru - Zambia - +1117
5. Richard Robinson - Zimbabwe - Mitsubishi - +1283
6 Laureen Marufu - Zimbabwe - +3554