South African Rally-Raid competitors and enthusiasts of the sport have been waiting in anticipation for the 2026 season to start with the upcoming INGCO Parys 400, that is scheduled to take place on 19 and 20 June from Stonehenge River Lodge on the Kopjeskraal Road outside Parys in the North West Province and promises to deliver all the action to make up for the months of interruptions.
This race will now form the opening round of the championship after the Stella event in the North-West Province had to be postponed due to the outbreak of Foot-and-Mouth disease, while severe storms and flooding in May in the southern Cape resulted in the Outeniqua 600 being postponed to August.
It will be the eighth running of the event in the Parys area and competitors have experienced the terrain in dry and dusty as well as wet conditions, while many will remember the massive hailstorm during the maiden race in 2019. This year racers will again be competing in two provinces as the bulk of the route will be closer to Parys situated in the Free State while the race route on the banks of the Vaal River will take them into the North-West Province.
The Ingco Parys 400 will amplify the weekend buzz at this picturesque little town and will add an exciting activity for weekenders. Although the racing will be a spectacle for spectators and enthusiasts, it will be a serious, albeit enjoyable outing for competitors who will be looking to open their 2026 scorecard with some valuable points – and a few hundred racing kilometres.
For the 2026 edition of the Ingco Parys 400, the best sections of the route used for the double-header event last year, have been used to put together a challenging and fast-paced race.
The race is scheduled to start at 09:30 on Friday morning, 19 June with a Qualifying Race close to Race Headquarters and the Designated Service Park (DSP) to determine the starting order for Stage One that will commence at 12:30. For the first stage, vehicles will follow a 14km (non-racing) liaison section via the R59 through the town to the Parys Airfield from where the stage will start and take competitors through open veld with some technical sections, sharp turns and water crossings. The event will finish at the airfield before returning to the DSP at Stonehenge River Lodge.
On Saturday, 20 June following the ceremonial start from Stonehenge River Lodge, competitors will again depart through town on the minor Weiveld gravel road to the starting point for Stage Two, at 08:30 just past the bridge over the N1 from where teams will take on the 200km route, characterised by some muddy patches, open grasslands and typical mealie fields.
The route will cross a few gravel roads and meander along the Free State backdrop towards the Weiveld Grain Silos and Boerevereniging Hall before reaching the R82, a major tar road, then circling back past the Dover Railway Station towards the silos and the finish close to the N1. From here the spectacle will travel via the R723 through Parys before taking the Kopjeskraal Road to the DSP for a 30-minute compulsory service break before a repeat of stage 2.
These two stages will be a combination of fast and technical that will make for exciting action and an interesting event.
With Parys a mere 150 kilometres from central Gauteng and about an hour’s drive from the West Rand and Potchefstroom, rally-raid enthusiasts are within a short drive to be part of the first race of the season. Spectators can look forward to experiencing spectacular vehicles, combined with new and familiar faces and world-class racing action.
Source: MSA
