The Gazoo Toyota Hilux team will head up the weekend's Production Vehicle category in Mpumalanga, with Henk Lategan/Brett Cummings one of the three works combinations. Picture: Dave Ledbitter.
The 2023 South African Rally-Raid Championship commences this weekend, around Malelane in Mpumalanga with the Nkomazi 400.
Topping the entry list of new cars, crews and sponsors will be the three Toyota Gazoo Racing Hilux teams of Giniel de Villiers/Dennis Murphy, Henk Lategan/Brett Cummings and Guy Botterill/Simon Vacy-Lyle.
The local Malelane team, Johan and Werner Horn (Toyota #TeamHilux) will be in a similar DKR Hilux T1+, as will Gary Bertholdt/Henry Köhne with sponsorship from Renergen.
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Representing Ford will be Lance Woolridge/Kenny Gilbert (NWM Castrol Ranger T1+), Gareth Woolridge/Boyd Dreyer (NWM Castrol Ranger T1+) and Wors Prinsloo/André Vermeulen (Ranger T1+).
Finally Chris Visser/Albertus Venter will run in T1+ with their new Red-Lined Motorsport Revo.
Running two-wheel-drive Century CR vehicles will be Lance Trethewey/Adriaan Roets (King Price Xtreme), Brian Baragwanath/Leonard Cremer Dewald van Breda/Stompie Mynhardt and Loic Bathfield/Rodney Burke.
Topping the FIA T1 Class will be Eben Basson/Leander Pienaar (Toyota #TeamHilux) and teammates, Fouché/Bertus Blignaut.
Others to watch must include Red-Lined Motorsport’s Philip/Nicolaas Botha (VK56), Johan de Bruyn/Gerhard Schutte (Revo), Nicolas Pienaar/Carl Swanepoel (Revo), Richard Leeke/Rikus Fourie and Schalk Burger/Henk Janse van Vuuren (King Price Xtreme Mercedes-Benz X-Class).
Current T1 Class champion Jayden Els/ Elvéne Vonk (King Price Xtreme SVR), Johan/Sean van Staden (KEC Renault Duster) and Geoff Minnitt/Gerhard Snyman (Hydro Power Toyota Hilux) round out the class.
Class T will see Bernard/Minette Johnstone (NWM Ford Ranger), Hendrik/Heinrich du Plessis (Ford Ranger) and the Nienaber brothers, Nico and Juandré (King Price Xtreme Renault Duster), battle it out for victory.
In the Special Vehicle Category Class A champions, Tim Howes/Gary Campbell (BAT Spec 4), will face Lood du Preez/Rikus Hatting (Farmers Meat Stryker) and Eugene Bierman/Pieter Visser (BAT Spec 2).
Class G will see Can-Am Mavericks manned by Werner/Ian Mostert, Glen Theron/Craig Galvin, Francois/ Neil de Wit and Ewald van Rensburg /Johan Scheepers.
The Nkomazi 400 will start on Friday at 12.30pm with a 65-kilometre qualifying race to determine the starting order on Saturday.
The start/finish, race headquarters and designated service point (DSP) will be at the Nkomazi Fuel & Gas Depot approximately four kilometres from Malelane.
The leading team will start the main race on Saturday, at 8am and will return to the DSP for a compulsory service break after completing the first of two 175km loops. The race will finish at that venue, where the podium ceremonies will take place.
For more information on this year’s championship, visit the website, sacrosscountryracing.co.za.
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