Cross Country Series ready for Mpumalanga 400

The 2021 South African Cross Country Series will kick off in the Dullstroom area this Friday, with the Mpumalanga 400 to host an impressive number of entries.

No fewer than 16 teams have entered the FIA Class, led by Giniel de Villiers and Dennis Murphy in their Gazoo Racing Toyota Hilux. They will be supported by the similar Toyotas of Guy Botterill/ Brett Cummings and Shameer Variawa/ TBA.

Making their racing debut will be the all-new 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbocharged EcoBoost Ford Ranger entries of Lance Woolridge/  Elvéne Vonk and Gareth Woolridge/  Boyd Dreyer. Specifically designed and developed according to the latest FIA Cross Country International Regulations, the new Neil Woolridge Fords’ progress will be watched with keen interest.

The Red-Lined/ Penta Motor Group team will have four vehicles in the FIA Class. Team regulars, Ernest Roberts/ Henry Köhne, will be joined by Conrad Rautenbach/  Riaan Greyling,  Philip Botha/ Roelof Janse van Vuuren, and Eben Basson/  Gerhard Schutte.

Ford’s all new 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbocharged EcoBoost Ford Ranger will make its debut, handled by Lance Woolridge/ Elvéne Vonk and Gareth Woolridge/ Boyd Dreyer. Picture: Colin Mileman.

Back from a successful experience in the recent Dakar Rally, Brian Baragwanath/  Taye Perry (Century Racing CR6) will take on the bakkies in the FIA class. There will be two more Century Racing vehicles in the line-up at Dullstroom, with Mark Corbett/ Rodney Burke (CR6) and Dewald van Breda/ Johann du Toit (CR5) stepping up from the SxS class.

Two Schalk Burger Motorsport teams will also aim for a successful start to the season in their King Price Xtreme vehicles. After a crash and injuries that forced Schalk Burger to sit out the 2020 season, he will be back in action with Henk Janse van Vuuren. Namibian driver Thilo Himmel  will be behind the wheel of the second vehicle with Armand du Toit as his navigator.

Rounding out the FIA class will be Gary Bertholdt/ Siegfried Rousseau  (Toyota Hilux) plus Johan/ Sean van Staden (Moto-Netix KEC Renault Duster).

Defending Class T champions Johan and Werner Horn (Malalane Toyota Hilux) will face off against the likes of Wors Prinsloo/ André Vermeulen (NWM Ford Ranger), Malcolm/ Frans Kock (Ford Ranger), Hennie de Klerk/ Werner A. Weiss (BMW X3), Christo Rose/ Arno Olivier (Ford Ranger) and Bernard /  Minette Johnstone (Ford Ranger).

John Thomson/ Maurice Zermatten (Mormond Zarco Challenger) could mount podiums in the Special Vehicle category. Picture: Nadia Jordaan.

Ford’s Development team of Wiseman Gumede/  Fanifani Meyiwa will be in a NWM Ford Ranger, hoping for a good debut weekend.

The Special Vehicle Category will be headed by Clint Gibson/ Alaric Smith (Dirt Sport Stryker), Lance Trethewey/ Adriaan Roets (LT Earthmovers BAT Venom), Tim Howes/  Don Thomson (Tim Drew Property BAT Spec 4),

Others to watch must include Sandra Labuscagne-Jonck/ Jaco Jonck (Moto-Netix KEC Porter), John Thomson/  Maurice Zermatten (Mormond Zarco Challenger),  Boela Botes/ Jay Pretorius (Schalk Burger Porter), andTrace Price Moor/ Shaun Braithwaite (BAT Spec1)

The Class G Side-by-Side  category will see teams like Nico du Rand/  J.G. Claassen (CanAm),  Rikus Hattingh/  Coenie Bezuidenhout (CanAm),. Werner/ Leon Mostert (CanAm), Dean Bradbury/ Timmy Botes (CanAm), Theo Erasmus/ Edward Odendaal (CanAm), Peter Walter/ Shaun de Villiers, Simon Murray/ Achim Bergman in action.
Others who could stage surprises would  be Kent Rutherford/  Kabelo Mokanyane,  Geoff Minnitt/ Carl Swanepoel, Cecil/ Elardus Larney, Michael/  Jean de Beer and Marko Himmel / Francois Schoonbee, all in CanAm vehicles.

Dakar stars Brian Baragwanath/ Taye Perry (Century Racing CR6) will take on the bakkies in the FIA class. Picture: Nadia Jordaan.

The Mpumalanga 400 is a Super Event that will start with a 10 km Pirelli Qualifying Race at 10.30 am on Friday. The results will determine the starting order for Loop 1 around Tonteldoos that will start at 1:30 pm, and will be 102 kilometres in distance.

The action will start again at 8 am on Saturday, when teams will take on the 130 kilometres of Loop 2 around Belfast in the order of Friday’s combined results. The third and final race, a combination of the Tonteldoos and Belfast loops, will be approximately 210 kilometres long.

The Cricket Oval in Dullstroom will house the Race Headquarters, the Designated Service Point, and the Start/Finish of the event.

No spectators will be allowed, but enthusiasts can follow the race on the RallySafe App that can be downloaded free of charge from the Apple iStore or Google Play Store.  Information will also be available on the SACCS Telegram and Facebook portals.

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