Mark Cronje is recognised as one of the fastest and most versatile drivers on the South African motorsport scene, and he's proven his credentials on the international stage too by winning the 2003 World Rotax Max Karting Championship
Cronje started his circuit racing career in 1990 and joined the Toyota development team in 1996, winning the Production Car Class E title and Rookie of the Year award. In 1999, he moved to Class D in a Toyota Tazz. He was introduced to off-road racing with the Castrol Toyota squad in 2003, and began earning his wings in rallying in 2006.
Cronje, along with veteran co-driver Chris Birkin, certainly made his mark in off-road racing, as the Gauteng pairing surpassed all expectations by comfortably winning Class E in Mark’s debut year after completing all eight events for the year. The following season they progressed to Class D, and despite fishing seven out of eight races, they narrowly missed out on the championship by a single point after a controversial ruling.
They continued in Class D in 2005, before moving up to the new Super Production Class in the Castrol Toyota Hilux for the 2006 season. They were consistently at the top of the class in terms of pace with the Hilux for 2007, and remained among the strongest challengers in this sport for the 2008 season, claiming victory on the Eastern Cape 1000, as well as podium finishes in the Toyota 1000 Desert Race in Botswana and the season-ending RFS Magalies 400. Ultimately, they concluded a very competitive year in fourth place.
If ever there was any doubt as to Cronje's talents in the dirt, it was quickly dispelled when he comfortably blasted his way to the Class A6 national rally championship victory in his debut year in 2006, and then repeated the feat by taking the title in Class A7, the top two-wheel drive category, the following year with several rounds remaining.
With his move to the premier S2000 category for the 2008 season, Cronje was partnered with highly experience and multiple championship-winning co-driver Robert Paisley. Paisley navigated for Serge Damseaux between 2003 and 2007, claiming successive co-driver's titles for 2003 and 2004, with a tally of 19 rally wins to his credit leading into the 2008 season.
Together, the talented duo proved their mettle by powering Toyota to its record 13th win in the 25-year history of the Volkswagen Rally in Port Elizabeth in July 2008.
They also gave the exciting new Castrol-liveried Auris its S2000 debut on the Osram Rally in August, racking up two stage wins and coming desperately close to winning straight out the box, thereby setting a very competitive tone for the 2009 season.
Marks brother Gavin Cronje is racing in the Formula Le Man Cup in Europe.
