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Renault KEC 400 2024: Champions Red-Lined dominate in Pretoria
Red-Lined Motorsport Adventure clean sweep as Heinleins take title
Not only did Red-Lined Motorsport utterly dominate the Adventure T1 class with a top three podium whitewash, a new race winner and the championship at the 2024 South African Rally-Raid Championship Renault KEC 400 finale near Pretoria over the weekend, but new upgrades unleashed some spectacular speed the team’s new Ultimate T1+ class Red-Lined REVO GT-Rs.
“It was a weekend of ups and downs as usual, but what a way to wrap up the season at the final round of the South African Rally-Raid Championship in Pretoria,” Red-Lined motorsport team principal Terence Marsh explains. “The big news was our full lock out of the T1 Adventure podium with a trio Red-Lined VK56s, but we also took heart of some great steps forward with our REVO T1+ GT-R program.
“In a weekend of firsts, we must congratulate Philip Botha and Stompie Mynhardt on their first National T1 Adventure class race win in the Penta Red-Lined VK56. Props also go to most impressive rookies. Danie Ludick and Denzil Williamson on their first National podium as they finished just 28 seconds off the class lead in only their fourth ever National event aboard the Elegant Fuels Red-Lined VK56.
“And what more can we say about father and son team Gerhard and Rudi Heinlein, who came home third in class to wrap up their first National Championship overall and round off a Red-Lined clean sweep podium only their second year in the South African National Rally Raid championship? A brilliant job all round and a truly proud moment for us all at Red-Lined Motorsport, and hopefully the first of many with the Red-Lined Privateer’s Cup kicking off in the T1 Adventure class in 2025.
“The results may not show it, but we also came back delighted with progress on our two Red-Lined REVO T1+ GT-Rs. We treated this weekend as test and took two different upgrades to the field in the two cars. “Red-Lined Europe CEO Rients Hofstra and Wade Harris were the unsung heroes as they traded places with the manufacturer factory entries with their factory T1+ Ultimate REVO GT-R in the top five throughout the weekend. In without doubt Rients and Wade’s best outing yet, they took their fight to the leaders with newfound pace, only to be thwarted by belt issues late on Saturday.
“We also welcomed young gun Jayden Els, a former world karting champion, race and rally driver, who has lately carved a very good name for himself in Rally Raid, to the team this weekend. Driving the factory Red-Lined REVO GT-R T1+ normally in Chris Visser’s hands, alongside Armand du Toit in King Price colours, Jayden showed talent beyond his years to bounce back from an intercooler issue on Saturday to set the overall pace on Saturday. Jayden ended fourth, just 54 seconds off the pace to complete a promising weekend for our Ultimate cars.
“Red-Lined Motorsport is extremely proud and grateful at the same time, to end our 2024 South African National Rally Raid campaign in dominant race and championship winning style in the Adventure class with our trio of VK65s. And we are truly excited with the great promise uncovered in our new Ultimate T1+ cars. We now look forward to Dakar 2025 in January to start off another brilliant season for Red-Lined Motorsport. None of us can wait!”
Source: Red-Lined Motorsport
Helder