Sasol pulls sponsorship, but rally contiues
Sasol, for 25 years the title sponsor of arguably the most prestigious rally on the local calendar, has terminated its support of the the South African Motorsport Club's national championship event in Mpumalanga.
The event, affectionately known to local rally competitors and followers as 'The Sasol', is still the only rally in South Africa with National Rally as well as Africa Rally Championship status, with the final Sasol sponsored event won by reigning SA rally champions Leeroy Poulter and Elvéne Coetzee in their Toyota Gazoo SA Yaris S2000 last year.
"Sasol informed the club this week that it will no longer be sponsoring the event," SAM chairman Willie du Plessis admitted. "We would like to thank and salute Sasol for ts support over the last quarter of a century and tor wonderful years of building the event into something special. "We have short lead time to this year's event, but we're pulling out all the stops to make it happen”.
"Our relationship with South African motorsport started more than fifty years ago, and over the decades we have been involved in all aspects of motorsport, from rally and circuit racing to Formula One,” Sasol's letter to the Club confirmed. "While motorsport is part of Sasol’s history, it is important that the company’s sponsorship properties are re-evaluated on a regular basis to ensure that they remain current and relevant”.
“Sasol is certainly proud of the numerous successes that it has achieved during its 25 years as the event title sponsor of the Sasol Rally, due in no small part to the involvement of our valued partners. “Without your support and commitment, the Sasol Rally would not have achieved the reputation of being the best-organised event on the rally calendar.”
Sasol will continue to sponsor the GTC Africa series this year.
Issued on behalf of Race News
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