Dear rally-fans,
After more than 2 years, we're finally back in full force, putting the second biggest rally-raid event in the world back on your agenda! Please welcome "Morocco Desert Challenge - The Revival"
What to expect? What we always offer and what we are best known for: an outstanding high-level rally with an awesome linear route from coast to coast, 1000 participants from all over the planet, perfectly drawn roadbooks, unique vibes in the bivouac and delicious food and drinks!
The event will take place from 21st to 30th April 2023, traditionally starting with 2 days of technical and administrative scrutineering in the coastal city of Agadir. From 23rd April onwards we offer you 8 amazing stages across the Moroccan desert: sandy oueds, vast plains, breathtaking valleys and no less than 5 dunes seas. Needless to say we'll include "our" legendary Plage Blanche.
This short newsletter is only sent to you to announce we're back; better and stronger than ever before. We'll give you an update on some new technological developments and some very important information about the registrations for the MDC2023. There's much more exciting news coming soon, so stay tuned!
Enjoy! - Gert Duson

NEW FOR 2023: DIGITAL ROADBOOKS
Just like the Dakar and other rally events, also the Morocco Desert Challenge keeps innovating. This means we says goodbye to paper and will adopt the new digital roadbooks. ERTF, the provider for the GPS Unik is switching completely to the new GPS Unik4 and this means all roadbooks will be digital. These will be used as of next year in the truck, cars & buggy's and SSV categories.
One of the main advantages of the digital roadbooks is that modifications of the opening car, can be implemented automatically by the race management. No more need to bring glue and a pair of scissors to the desert. The technology also makes using a "map man" impossible, making the rally more honest and equal for everybody.
More information on the new GPS Unik4 will be on our website shortly.

REGISTRATIONS OPEN ON 1st AUGUST 2022
In about two weeks, registrations for the Morocco Desert Challenge 2023 open. If you want to join us, make sure to register quickly because the available places are limited.
At the moment we already have 400 registrations from participants who rescheduled their 2020 inscription, which means the event is nearly half full. Taking into account that the 2020 edition sold out in just one week, you know you have to be quick to secure one of the remaining 600 places.
As always, you can sign up online via www.competitorcontrol.nl, our registration platform.
Important to know is that up to August 30th you can benefit from the cheapest rates. On September 1st, prices go up irrevocably. Registrations are only valid when accompanied by a 750€/per person payment
So don't hesitate too long if you want to be part of the adventure and secure your seat!

OFFICIAL TRAILER

Source MDC

Crono Rally is a four-day Cross Country Rally hosted in Springbok, Northern Cape. The event is open for bikes and side by side.
With routes that cover approximately 2000km, you will get to see all the treasures of the Namakwaland.

The event will be hosted in Springbok, Northern Cape. There will be only one Bivouac for the event. 1 Prologue and 3 days with special stages. The event will cover approx. 2000km
Special Stages will run on dirt roads where some sections are open to the public and some sections on private roads that will be controlled during the rally. All normal traffic rules and regulations apply on public roads sections.

There will be 2 CrossRoads Stops:
Crossroads 1 will have a mandatory Stop 15 minutes.
Crossroads 2 will be a Designated Service Point (DSP) -
maximum 25 minutes. Repairs may be done.

Roadbook competitors must do all Sections to complete the Rally and receive a finishers medal. GPS competitors will only do up to second CrossRoads then take the liaison back to the bivouac to receive a finishers medal.
Each CrossRoads will have a cut off time so don’t take too long to reach each point.
The first Crono Rally Bucket List Safari will be part of the event for the adventure’s spectator to overnight at Crossroads 1 and await the Rally Competitors. Some sightseeing info will be provided to explore.
The race is open to Adventure Bikers -the organizers trasnport the riders's gear - you ride part of the ROUTE!

Source Chrono Rally

While the year has already reached the halfway mark, the 2022 SA Rally-Raid Championship has only just got momentum with two of the seven rounds ticked off. Having a look at the early leaders in the extremely competitive Production Vehicle Category as well as those in the hunt behind them and the minimal amount of points separating the teams, it is clear that some exciting racing action can be expected over the next four months.

The recent Toyota Gazoo Racing SA (TGRSA) Desert 1000, the second round of the championship that took place over three days and almost a thousand gruelling kilometres in the Upington area in the Northern Cape, rewarded those who finished with a healthy amount of points. The past two events have however seen success and disappointment for teams with those who have produced constant results, now a bit higher up on the scoresheets.

Changes to the Production Vehicle Category has also seen the introduction of the FIA T1.2 Class for 2x4 normally aspirated petrol engine vehicles at the recent TGRSA 1000 Desert Race and teams in this class did not score points towards the overall standings at the season opener.

Looking at the overall standings, it is Shameer Variawa/Danie Stassen (TGRSA DKR Hilux T1+) who have taken the early lead (54 points) although only one point separates them from their team-mates and TGRSA 1000 Desert Race winners, Giniel de Villiers/Dennis Murphy (53 points). Another TGRSA team, Guy Botterill/Simon Vacy-Lyle, rounds off the overall podium (49 points) with not much separating them from the leaders.

The only little gap in the current standings, is the 18 points between Botterill/Vacy-Lyle and Gareth Woolridge/Boyd Dreyer (NWM Ford Castrol Ranger T1+) in fourth place with a blanket of only 11 points covering the seven teams from fourth to 10th place on the overall standings. One can expect turmoil between these teams while they will all be hunting down the leaders.

Bad luck at the desert race resulted in the defending champions, Henk Lategan/Brett Cummings (TGRSA DKR Hilux T1+) returning from Upington empty handed with only the 30 points from their victory at the season opener putting them in fifth place overall. They have the same amount of points as Eben Basson/Leander Pienaar (#TeamHilux Rally-Raid T1) with both teams only a single point behind Woolridge/Dreyer.

Brian Baragwanath/Leonard Cremer (Century Racing CR6 T1.2) missed the season opener, but they earned 27 points by finishing fourth in the desert and worked their way into seventh place overall. The Horn brothers, Johan and Werner (#TeamHilux Rally-Raid T1+) also missed the opening round but a good run at Upington moved them to eighth overall, three points behind the 2021 TGRSA 1000 Desert Race winners, Baragwanath/Cremer.

It has been a seesaw season for Gary Bertholdt (Toyota Hilux) so far, but two race finishes puts him ninth amongst the drivers (21 points), one point ahead of Lance Trethewey (King Price Xtreme CR6 T1.2). Bertholdt has made use of two navigators, Philip Herselman (10 points) and Juan Möhr (11 points) while Rodney Burke scored 20 points next to Trethewey and is ninth in the overall navigator standings.

A few tight battles have ensued in the different class championships where competitors receive an additional five points for starting a race. This results in a podium shuffle in the FIA T1+ Class where De Villiers/Murphy are leading (67 points) with Variawa/Stassen (64 points) second and Botterill/Vacy-Lyle (62 points) third. Woolridge/Dreyer (52 points) are still fourth with a little breathing space to Lategan/Cummings (40 points) and the Horn brothers (32 points).
Lance Woolridge/Elvéne Vonk (NWM Ford Castrol Ranger) have had a dismal start to their season and could not finish the first two events. They have 10 points with an uphill battle ahead of them.

In the FIA T1 Class, Basson/Pienaar (67 points) have opened a little gap to the rest of the teams. With different driver and navigator combinations over the two events, drivers and teams do not necessarily share the same position in the standings. Bertholdt (57 points) is currently second of the T1 drivers, one point ahead of Philip Botha (Red-Lined Motorsport VK56) who is only one point ahead of German driver, Daniel Schröder (Nissan Navara) after a good run at Upington.

Newcomer Johan de Bruyn (Red-Lined Motorsport VK56) has worked himself into the fifth place between the T1 drivers (42 points) after scoring at both events with the Blignaut brothers, Fouche and Bertus (#TeamHilux Rally-Raid) completing their first event at Upington successfully to be sixth (36 points). Hennie de Klerk (VW Amarok) is seventh (28 points) followed by Jürgen Schröder (Nissan Navara) who deservedly earned his 23 points after a tough desert race as did Thomas Bell (Red-Lined Motorsport REVO) who is ninth (22 points) after a challenging event.

In the T1 Navigators Championship, Schröder’s navigator, Ryan Bland, finds himself in second place (55 points), trailing Pienaar by 12 points while De Bruyn’s navigator, Gerhard Schutte, rounds off the podium (42 points). Roelof Janse van Vuren missed the season opener, but earned himself 42 points sitting next to Botha at the TGRSA 1000 Desert Race. Wade Harris (37 points) is fifth after navigating for Conrad Rautenbach at the season opener and for Thomas Bell (Red-Lined Motorsport REVO) at Upington.

Bertholdt’s two navigators, Möhr (29 points) and Herselman (28 points) are seventh and eighth respectively with Adriaan Roets, who sits next to De Klerk, also with 28 points in the bag. Jürgen’s navigator, Michael Abramson is 10th (23 points).
Four teams scored their first points in the new FIA T1.2 Class with Baragwanath/Cremer (50 points) leading the class ahead of Trethewey/Rodney Burke (42 points). They are followed by two French couples, Yannick/Valerie Panagiotis (36 points) who were seventh at the TGRSA 1000 Desert and Jerome/Anne Galpin (32 points), who both competed with Century Racing CR6 vehicles. Three more teams have their work cut out for them to add to their five points – JCP Steel Supplies team-mates, Ernest Roberts/Henry Köhne and Malcolm Kock/Jaco van Aardt as well as Dewald van Breda/Johann du Toit who all competed with Century Racing CR6 vehicles.

There are new leaders in Class T. A first class victory at the desert race for the young driver, Jayden Els and navigator Armand du Toit (King Price Xtreme Renault Duster) saw the team taking the lead (51 points) ahead of Christo Rose/Arno Olivier (Neil Woolridge Motorsport Ford Ranger) who trail them by five points. The father and son crew of Johan and Sean van Staden (KEC Racing Renault Duster) survived a brutal desert race and rounds off the podium (32 points) while the Johnstone couple, Bernard and Minette (Neil Woolridge Motorsport Ford Ranger) is fourth (25 points) after not being able to finish the TGRSA 1000 Desert Race. Wors Prinsloo/André Vermeulen (Neil Woolridge Motorsport Ford Ranger), have commissioned a new vehicle, and did not compete at Upington are fifth (23 points).

Toyota (275 points) has taken a commanding lead in the Manufacturers Championship with Century Racing (72 points) second; Nissan (63 points) third; Ford (61 points) fourth and Renault (22 points) rounding off the top five. Volkswagen is sixth (5 points).

Points in the overall and T1+ class are provisional, pending a protest.
The third round of the SA Rally-Raid Championship takes place on 19 and 20 August at Bronkhorstspruit on the outskirts of Gauteng.

Source SARRC
Images: Andre Schoeman

Schröder & Bland lead Botha & Janse van Vuren home in T1

Red-Lined Motorsport racing with the Penta Motor Group delivered a spectacular T1 class result at 2022’s premier South African Rally-Raid Championship Toyota Gazoo Racing 1000 Desert Race in Upington over the weekend.

German driver Daniel Schröder and SA navigator Ryan Bland scored a superb class victory aboard their WCT Engineering-run Red-Lined VK50. They held Penta Motor Group Red-Lined VK56 pairing of Philip Botha and Roelof Janse van Vuren off for second in class. Botha and van Vuren quite incredibly stretched their unblemished cross country racing finishing record to sixteen races, 44 stages and 11 300km on the trot. Another Red-Lind VK56 crew, OdorCure duo Johan de Bruyn and Gerhard Schutte ended sixth in T1 on Johan’s second national, fifth-ever cross country outing and first ever Desert 1000 event.

“That’s a wrap of the 2022 Desert 1000!” a delighted Red-Lined CEO Terence Marsh reported. “A Red-Lined 1-2 headed by an overall win for one of our customers and three finishers from our four team starters in what was an incredibly tough and challenging event. “What more could we ask for? “Congratulations to Daniel and Ryan, and to Stuart Thompson and the WCT team on that T1 win and a huge shout out to our Penta Motor Group boys Philip and Roelof for an incredible second overall in FIA T1.

“Congratulations also to our circuit racing refugee Johan and his wily wing man Gerhard on finishing the gruelling Desert Race in an impressive 6th place on their maiden outing in what was a hugely competitive FIA T1 class. “These results are all huge testament to our rugged and reliable Red-Lined VK series race cars. “The VK50 and VK56 are designed and built with the businessman and semi-professional driver in mind and all three of them this weekend proved just what can be achieved with some good preparation.”

The Desert Race proved a little more challenging on the two all-new Red-Lined REVOs, which continued through their development phase at the Desert Race. Dubai driver Thomas Edward Bell and notes man Wade Harris overcome an array of challenges throughout the event to eventually bring their brand new REVO home in a credible 8th overall in the FIA T1 class on debut. Sadly, the flying Chris Visser and Albertus Venter had a major altercation with a rock, which put a premature end to their desert challenge aboard their Dragon Energy Drink REVO.

“All in all, the 2022 Desert Race was a really challenging race after all the rain in the area,” Terence Marsh concluded. “It really was a tough one, but so rewarding none the less. “Special congratulations to all our Red-Lined crews and of course to our incredible technical team, without whose great support, none of this would ever be possible!”

*Red-Lined Motorsport competes with premium strategic partners, the Penta Motor Group, BFGoodrich, Motul, Dragon Energy, Jonnesway Tools, OMP, Expand a Sign and Wheel Collision.

Source: Red-Lined Motorsport via Motorsport Media

 Ocean, dunes, and desert

Three months before the 2022 Rallye du Maroc, which will take place from October 1st to 6th, David Castera revealed the details of the 2300 km loop around Agadir that will take the competitors of the 22nd edition along the Atlantic coast.

An immersion in the great south of the Kingdom to Laâyoune through Tan-Tan, which is part of the objective declared by the race and its sponsors to share the event with the entire Cherifian territory.

New provinces await the regulars of the race as well as newcomers. For all competitors, the counters will be reset to zero at the start of a touring route punctuated by five stages between ocean, dunes, and Sahara Desert and four nights in a bivouac.

In the footsteps of the Dakar of yesterday and today

It was in the Atlas Hotel in the capital of Souss Massa and in the presence of more than 130 people, the representative of the Wali of the region of Souss Massa, representatives of the urban community of Agadir, the headquarters of the Royal Gendarmerie of Agadir, the regional direction of tourism, the ONMT, the two Moroccan federations car and motorcycle, representatives of the main sponsors and many Moroccan competitors that David Castera unveiled the details of the next edition of the Rally of Morocco on June 28. It is in the ultra-modern complex of the Grand Stade d'Agadir that this round of the F.I.A. and F.I.M. World Rally-Raid Championship will be installed for the traditional administrative and technical verifications starting on September 30th.

The sport will start with the Qualifying Special Stage on the afternoon of October 1st, at the gates of the seaside resort. A podium will be set up on the corniche, the famous promenade along the beach of Agadir. This will be an opportunity for the inhabitants and tourists passing through to see the rally-raid caravan made up of the stars of the discipline, amateurs, and continental drivers of the Africa Rally Team. This will be a great opportunity to inspire tomorrow's vocations!

The next day, the competitors will head towards the south of Morocco with the Atlantic Ocean at their right-hand side. Direction Tan-Tan, in the footsteps of the last African edition of the Dakar in 2007, which had stopped there before continuing its route to Mauritania and Senegal. A nod to history but also to today's Dakar, thanks to the navigation that awaits the competitors around Laâyoune. Tom Colsoul, a professional co-driver who now puts his expertise at the service of the W2RC (World Rally-Raid Championship) road books, has encountered in this region less frequented and consequently less visible tracks, like those of Saudi Arabia "that we spend our time looking for". An excellent rehearsal for the navigators in view of the Dakar 2023.

Priority to the course, place to the conviviality

"It's a less common route but just as interesting," said David Castera, who knows that prejudices are persistent and who developed his remarks as follows: "The dunes of Merzouga and Chegaga will not be on the program this year, but competitors can rest assured, and even prepare themselves, because there will be beautiful portions of dunes in stage 2 and stage 3, which will be the most difficult. I wanted to take the competitors elsewhere, on new tracks. From a sporting point of view, it will be more interesting because the regulars won't have more reference points than the competitors who are less initiated in Morocco".

Four consecutive nights in bivouac will be on the menu of the five stages, a framework tailor-made after two years constrained by the necessary precautionary principles related to the health crisis. A program dictated above all by the care given to the quality of the course, the absolute priority of David Castera: "When I design a new edition, with my teams, the priority is the course. Then, we organize the base of life according to the possibilities and existing infrastructures. This philosophy leads us to opt for the bivouac, a way to get closer to one of the arts of living and historical know-how of our hosts. It is also an integral part of the adventure dimension of our sport, which has always consisted in getting out of our routines".

An eco-responsible and fraternal rally in the heart of Morocco

The environmental impact is a main concern of the Rallye du Maroc and its main partners, who, since their association, have been ensuring the sustainable development of the race and the regions they cross. This year again, the standards of collection, treatment and recovery of waste will be the strictest within the bivouac. The carbon compensation will be translated at the end of the race by the planting of trees by local partners.

The cultural exchange between the Rallye du Maroc and the host regions will finally be able to take on its new dimension thanks to a relaxation of the health risk prevention system.

This opening will allow the organization of cultural events and sharing with the Moroccan people in the wake of the Rally:

A prologue followed by a presentation on one of the most touristic sites of Agadir.

A large-scale concert on the evening of the prologue in Agadir, on October 1st. A second concert on October 3rd, in Laâyoune.

Surprise personalities, invited on the Rally to discover this universe and who wish to share a moment of conviviality by getting involved through an action.

The rally will once again reinforce a caravan of mobile medical consultations for populations that are too far from health care centers. Vehicles, doctors and medicines will be made available for this purpose.

Symbolizing the seed of brotherhood planted in 2018 between the Rallye du Maroc and the region of Erfoud that hosted it then, the village of Outarra will continue to benefit from a development program tailored to the needs of its rural situation. While the school is well underway in this village, the well installed and supplied by a water tower has shown its limits in the face of the droughts of recent months. Aman Iman: water is life. A new water supply system in the heart of their needs is being studied in consultation with the inhabitants' association.

Africa Rally Team

The Rallye du Maroc and its major partners have set themselves the goal of making the African continent, the birthplace and historical home of the rally-raid, a player in our sport. A commitment that has not waited to bear fruit. Last year, Amine Echiger won the Afriquia Enduro Cup category of the Rally of Morocco. In the Dakar, a team composed of three Moroccan bikers was then at the start in Jeddah.
From the next edition in Agadir and in line with these performances, the Africa Rally Team will allow a dozen competitors to push for the first time the doors of the Rally of Morocco or to progress in exceptional conditions. This process started with a first selection phase based on the candidates' files and will continue this summer for about fifteen of them with a training course and final selection to access the third and last stage of the support and follow-up on the 2022 edition of the Rally of Morocco.

Dates :
- Registration deadline: 22/09,
- Private tests: all day on 29/09 and on the morning of 30/09,
- Technical, administrative checks: 30/09 and 01/10 morning, Grand Stade Adrar, Agadir,
- Qualifying special and podium: 01/10 afternoon,
- Stages 1 to 5: from 02/10 to 06/10,
- Awards ceremony: 06/10, evening, Palais des Congrès Dunes d'Or, Agadir.

Source W2RC / ASO
Photos: W2RC / ASO

The Toyota Gazoo Racing SA (TGRSA) 1000 Desert, the second round of the SA Rally-Raid Championship that took place over three days from 24 to 26 June in the Upington area in the Northern Cape, has a new inscription on the winners’ trophy with Giniel de Villiers and navigator, Dennis Murphy (Toyota Gazoo Racing SA DKR Hilux T1+) winning this gruelling marathon event after leading from start to finish.

The experienced De Villiers/Murphy combination added a third desert race victory to their previous two, with the pair also victorious at the Toyota Kalahari 1000 Desert Race in Botswana in 2017 and 2018. This year they led the race from the 43km Pirelli Qualifying Race on Friday, 24 June that was followed by the 171km Loop One while they also posted the best result on Saturday, 25 June over a distance of 342km.

On the final day Sunday, 26 June the team had to open the road on a different 160km loop that proved to be quite tricky and after completing the loop twice and without any incidents except a “minor altercation with a gate post”, the pair brought their Toyota Gazoo Racing DKR Hilux T1+ home safely to take the overall race victory as well as the Production Vehicle Category and class wins.

There was no margin for error for De Villiers/Murphy as their team-mates, Guy Botterill/Simon Vacy-Lyle, were only a few minutes behind them during the race. The multiple SA National Rally Champions kept it together to finish second overall and in the FIA T1+ Class with only three minutes and 34 seconds separating the two teams after racing for almost nine hours and 880 kilometres over the three days in the desert.

The event sponsor was awarded with yet another team on the overall podium - Shameer Variawa/Danie Stassen, brought their TGRSA DKR Hilux T1+ home in third place after a consistent run albeit almost 13 minutes further back. The defending desert race champions, Brian Baragwanath/Leonard Cremer (Century Racing CR6) started the final day from third position with a fighting chance for another victory, but lost time when they hit a rock and broke a bolt on the front wheel. They won the FIA T1.2 Class for 2x4 vehicles but dropped off the podium and finished fourth overall, less than a minute behind Variawa/Stassen.

The Horn brothers, Johan and Werner, rounded off the overall top five after their first outing in the #TeamHilux Rally-Raid DKR T1+. Their incident-free final day and a smooth run was only marred by a flat tyre six kilometres before the finish. Lance Trethewey/Rodney Burke (King Price Xtreme Century Racing CR6) bagged the silverware for finishing second in the FIA T1.2 Class and were sixth overall despite having two punctures on the final day on a route Trethewey, who won the Special Vehicle Category last year, called ‘intricate, but most enjoyable’.

The French team of Yannick and Valerie Panagiotis rounded off the FIA T1.2 Class and were seventh overall while they won the Road to Dakar challenge and a free entry into the 2023 Dakar Rally. Another international entry, Daniel Schröder and South African navigator, Ryan Bland (Nissan Navara) had a solid performance throughout the race to win the FIA T1 Class ahead of Philip Botha/Roelof Janse van Vuren (Red-Lined Motorsport VK56) with the two T1 teams finishing eighth and 10th overall respectively.

Sandwiched between the two T1 teams, were Gareth Woolridge/Boyd Dreyer (NWM Ford Castrol Ranger T1+) who had to push hard during the second and third day after losing heaps of time and positions with a burst oil cooler on the first day. The team finished fifth in FIA T1+ after a drive that saw them overtaking almost two thirds of the field.

The second of two more Team Hilux Rally-Raid vehicles, with newcomers Fouche and Bertus Blignaut, was just outside the overall top 10 in 11th place overall. The brothers finished on the podium after their very first race and were third in the FIA T1 Class despite putting their vehicle on its roof on Saturday. They echoed the experience of fellow competitors after the race, as an immensely enjoyable outing.

Team mates Eben Basson/Leander Pienaar suffered multiple punctures during the race, but persevered to finish 13th overall and fourth in FIA T1.

The two Team Hilux Rally-Raid teams flanked the Class T winner, the 17 year-old scholar, Jayden Els and his navigator, Armand du Toit (King Price Xtreme Renault Duster) who grabbed the class lead on the first day and worked hard to hold on to it to the end. The rest of the Class T podium consisted of Johan and his son, Sean van Staden (KEC Racing Renault Duster) who could not finish the first day and overcame a problematic event to finish second in the class with Christo Rose/Arno Olivier (Neil Woolridge Motorsport Ford Ranger) third.

Gary Bertholdt/Juan Möhr (Toyota Hilux) had a seesaw event including not finishing the qualifier on Friday. The experienced duo were eventually 14th overall and fifth in FIA T1. Three more teams finished the race in T1 with Johan de Bruyn/Gerhard Schutte (Red-Lined Motorsport VK56) 15th overall and sixth in class, after numerous punctures on Saturday while their team-mates, the Dubai competitor, Thomas Bell with SA navigator, Wade Harris, finished last after they damaged and fixed the suspension on their REVO on the final day of the event.

Jürgen Schröder/Michael Abramson (Nissan Navara) finished an eventful desert race just ahead of Bell/Harris while the second French couple, Jerome/Anne Galpin (Century Racing CR6) were 18th overall and fourth in the FIA T1.2 Class.
The last day saw the demise of Henk Lategan/Brett Cummings (TGRSA DKR Hilux T1+) who started the second day from the back of the field after they damaged their vehicle during the qualifying race when they hit a rock and could not complete the section. They tested new parts on the final day, but were forced to retire after they broke the suspension when they hit a rock.

Chris Visser/Albertus Venter (Red-Lined Motorsport REVO) also retired on the second day with suspension damage and had a good run on Day Three before they had to call it a day due to a mechanical issue. Other major casualties included Dewald van Breda/Johann du Toit (Century Racing CR6) who were eigth after day two, but they lost fuel pressure while a nut broke off a front wheel hub forcing them to retire.

There was also disappointment for Malcolm Kock/Jaco van Aardt (JCP Steel Supplies Century Racing CR6) who were ninth after Day Two, but could not finish on the final day while their team-mates, Ernest Roberts/Henry Köhne, had a troubled event and retired on the last day when their vehicle developed an oil leak. Lance Woolridge/Elvéne Vonk (NWM Ford Castrol Ranger T1+) retired on the second day with engine trouble.

The 2022 TGRSA 1000 Desert was an event for the books, with a damp route that challenged the teams with rocky and sandy sections while the competition was extremely tough. International and local competitors agreed however, that it was yet again, a most enjoyable event.

Source SARRC
Photos: Andre Schoeman

1st overall for De Villiers / Murphy
2nd overall for Botterill / Vacy-Lyle
3rd overall for Variawa / Stassen
Manufacturers’ award for Toyota

The 2022 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing SA 1000 Desert Race brought elation for the team, with all three podium positions going to TGRSA. Giniel de Villiers and co-driver Dennis Murphy took overall honours, followed by Guy Botterill and Simon Vacy-Lyle, in an identical Class T1+ Toyota Hilux. Shameer Variawa and Danie Stassen drove a steady race in fourth place, but overtook the crew ahead of them to clinch third overall near the end of the event.

“We are overjoyed with our results this weekend,” said TGRSA Team Principal, Glyn Hall, after the marathon event drew to a close on Sunday, 26 June 2022. “We couldn’t have asked for more from our crews, and we are elated with the points we scored on our home event.”

While three of the TGRSA crews achieved exceptional results, Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings fell foul to a corner that wasn’t indicated in the road book. The pair were the first car on the road in the qualifying race, but suffered significant damage to their Toyota Hilux when they made contact with large rocks, just beyond the corner.

“We were very unlucky,” said Lategan. “Many other crews also left the road at the same point, but we bore the brunt of the punishment. This put us on the back foot after qualifying, and things got worse in the first race loop of the day.”

The technical crew worked feverishly to repair Lategan/Cummings’ Hilux, and the pair were able to start the race under a penalty for failing to complete the Qualifying Race. Unfortunately, a damper on the front-right of the car came loose during the race, necessitating another halt for the defending champions.

“We managed to get the car repaired and tackle the remainder of the event, but with the penalties we incurred, we were never in contention for a podium,” concluded Lategan.

The pair made significant inroads throughout the weekend, fighting back from the back of the field, only to make the decision to retire the car when they suffered a technical problem in their gearbox.

“Henk and Brett drove extremely well, and we used the opportunity to test some setups and components for our Dakar programme,” said Hall. “But when the gearbox started acting up, we elected to retire the Hilux, rather than cause more damage.”

De Villiers/Murphy kept it clean throughout the 1,000 km-long race, setting the joint-fastest time in qualifying. They were matched by Botterill/Vacy-Lyle, who also had a clean run over the course of the iconic event.

Variawa and Stassen suffered a puncture in qualifying, but drove a steady, attacking race over the course of the weekend. They looked set for a fourth-place finish, but managed to overtake the car ahead of them in the final parts of the race, completing a Toyota trifecta in the 2022 TGRSA 1000 Desert Race.

As a result of their achievements, together with strong results from the privateer Toyota Hilux crews, the Manufacturer’s Award went to Toyota – a stunning reward after a tough weekend of racing in the desert.

“To us, winning the Desert Race is a highlight in our continued quest to lead the way. While we race for more than sport, we revel in our triumphs, and achieving a clean sweep in the longest race of the year serves to underscore the reliability and toughness of our Toyota Hilux,” said Toyota SA Motors’ Senior Vice-President for Sales and Marketing, Leon Theron, after the event.

With points-and-a-half on offer in the Desert, De Villiers’ win puts him right back in the title fight, after he failed to score significant points at the opening event of the year, the Mpumalanga 400.

The TGRSA 1000 Desert Race also played host to the Road to Dakar, which is a race-within-a-race open to privateer teams who have not competed at the Dakar Rally in the past. The prize for the Road to Dakar is free entry to the Dakar Rally, together with a cash prize of 8,000 euros. This year’s challenge was won by the French crew of Yannick and Valerie Panagiotis, driving a CR-6 buggy in Class T1.2.

Next up is the Bronkhorstspruit 400, which is set for mid-August 2022.

Source Toyota Gazoo Racing SA

Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer fought their way back from the back of the field after oil cooler burst on Friday, eventually finishing fifth in Class FIA T1+ and 10th overall *
Lance Woolridge and Elvéne Vonk qualified third on Friday, but unfortunately retired on Saturday after picking up engine trouble
Christo Rose and Arno Olivier scored second consecutive third-place finish in Class T in their privateer NWM Ford Ranger V8

The Neil Woolridge Motorsport (NWM) Ford Castrol Team endured a tough Desert Race in Upington this weekend, with tenacity and a never-say-die attitude producing a determined drive to fifth place in Class FIA T1+ and 10th overall for Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer (277)*.
Team-mates Lance Woolridge and Elvéne Vonk (234) were unfortunately forced to retire after encountering engine trouble on Saturday morning.
The team had hoped for a strong showing at the Toyota Gazoo Racing 1000 Desert Race, round two of the 2022 South African Cross Country Series (SARRC). As a marathon three-day event covering almost 1 000km, and with 1.5-times the normal points haul up for grabs, it’s an important race for the championship.
Friday’s action seemed on track to deliver an exciting battle for the podium, as Lance and Elvéne set the third-fastest time in the 43km qualifying loop in their EcoBoost-powered NWM Castrol Ford Ranger, just 7 seconds off the Toyotas of Giniel de Villers/Dennis Murphy and Guy Botterill/Simon Vacy-Lyle who posted identical times.
Intensifying the battle at the front, Gareth and Boyd were a mere 2 seconds off their team-mates in the second NWM Ranger in qualifying – but their progress was halted as an oil cooler split just 10km into the opening race loop. The young pair used their mechanical know-how to bypass the cooler and soldiered on at a cautious pace, having already lost 1 hour and 16 minutes which pushed them to the back of the field.
In contrast, Lance and Elvéne were flying and were running in second place for much of the 171km opening loop. However, they were caught out by some tricky navigation at the end of the stage which cost them around four minutes, dropping them to fourth place in the overnight standings.
The competitors repeated the same 171km loop twice on Saturday. Unfortunately, Lance and Elvéne’s hopes of recovering from a non-finish at the opening round in Dullstroom in March came to nothing as they were brought to a halt halfway through the day’s first loop with engine trouble, forcing them to retire from the race.

“It was extremely disappointing for us, as we were going really well and definitely had the pace to challenge for a podium finish,” Lance said. “It’s also a heavy blow for us in the championship, but we will come back fighting at the next race.”

Meanwhile, Gareth and Boyd threw caution to the wind on Saturday and had impressively worked their way from 32nd place to 17th overall and 5th in T1+ when the day’s racing drew to a close. Their objective going into Sunday’s two new loops of 170km each were for a top 10 finish – and they achieved their goal with a determined and faultless drive. They had clawed back four places by the end of the first loop, and secured the top result in the final stint, ultimately finishing 10th overall and securing fifth in class.

“This was certainly not the result we had hoped for coming into the Desert Race, but having started at the back of the field on Saturday it’s the best we could have hoped for considering our bad luck on Friday and the time we lost,” Gareth said. “Fifth place in T1+ gives us some crucial points for the championship, so it was worth pushing hard right through to the finish.”

Team principal Neil Woolridge added: “It was a challenging weekend for the team. Both crews drove really well, and it’s unfortunate that they encountered trouble. Nevertheless, it’s encouraging that Lance and Elvéne were very close to the pace of the leaders throughout Friday, and Gareth and Boyd did an exceptional job fighting their way through the field on Saturday and Sunday.

“We’re still working on finding some additional pace for our cars to ensure we are competitive for the remainder of the season,” Neil said. “We are going straight into a three-day test here in Upington this week with our new partners M-Sport. With this intensive test session I’m confident that we will make significant progress with the setup of our Rangers, giving us a strong platform to challenge for the second half of the season.”

NWM-supported privateers

In Class T, NWM Ranger V8 privateers Christo Rose and Arno Olivier (T58) battled through a challenging weekend to finish third, despite losing two hours in Saturday’s afternoon loop untangling wire that had wrapped around the propshaft, and dealing with a radiator issue on Sunday. Reward came in achieving their second consecutive podium finish of the season.

Source Neil Woolridge Motorsport

Entries are booming, demonstrating the enthusiasm for this event organized in the purest tradition of the great off-road rallies, in a friendly atmosphere, with a minimum of restrictions for maximum pleasure!
All participants of the AFRICA ECO RACE 2022 are eager to know the route that awaits them from October 14 to 30. Jean-Louis SCHLESSER and his team are happy to reveal the main lines of this 14th edition which will mark the big return to Africa.

RACE PROGRAM
FRIDAY OCTOBER 14, 2022
ADMINISTRATIVE & TECHNICAL CHECKS : MENTON
PARC FERME : MONACO

SATURDAY OCTOBER15, 2022
ADMINISTRATIVE & TECHNICAL CHECKS : MENTON
PARC FERME : MONACO
NIGHT START OF THE 2022 AFRICA ECO RACE: MONACO

SUNDAY OCTOBER 16, 2022
BOAT BOARDING: SETE

TUESDAY OCTOBER 18, 2022
STAGE 1: NADOR / BOUSAID: 605.18 kms
Liaison: 117.94 kms
Special: 93.97 kms
Liaison: 393.27 km
Short special stage, 100% new, between several crops, on a narrow track before a slightly mountainous part.

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 19, 2022
STAGE 2: BOUSAID / TAGOUNITE: 466.33 kms
Special: 447.95 kms
Liaison: 18.38 km
Departure from the bivouac for a long special stage, with a brand new part. Increasingly sandy grounds.
First passage on the dunes of Merzouga then usual Moroccan tracks.

THURSDAY OCTOBER 20, 2022
STAGE 3: TAGOUNITE / ASSA: 526.34 kms
Special: 465.89 kms
Liaison: 60.45 kms
Long special stage from the bivouac.Gravel tracks to the erg of Chegaga .Crossing of some dunes before entering the stony tracks.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 21, 2022
STAGE 4: ASSA / REMZ EL QUEBIR: 455.42 kms
Special: 455.42 kms
Departure / arrival bivouac.Crossing a mountain range before arriving in a more sandy region of Morocco.New tracks and plateaus towards some dry lakes.

SATURDAY 22 OCTOBER 2022
STAGE 5: REMZ EL QUEBIR / DAKHLA: 691.77 kms
Special: 450.82 kms
Liaison: 240.95 kms
Departure bivouac. Mix of very fast and sandy tracks with very few marks for navigation. Arrival in Dakhla on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean.

SUNDAY OCTOBER 23, 2022 
REST DAY
DAKHLA

MONDAY OCTOBER 24, 2022
STAGE 6: DAKHLA / CHAMI: 634.68 kms
Liaison: 430.05 kms
Special: 204.63 kms
Crossing border to Mauritania.Fast special stage on very sandy ground. Off-road navigation.

TUESDAY OCTOBER 25, 2022
STAGE 7: CHAMI / AKJOUJT: 514.66 kms
Liaison: 19.90 kms
Special: 470.16 kms
Liaison: 24.60 km
One of the longest special stages and announced as one of the most difficult! Large dune crossing. Mainly off-track before crossing new cords of dunes.

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 26, 2022
STAGE 8: AKJOUJT / AKJOUJT: 447.85 kms
Liaison: 24 km
Special: 423.80 kms
1st loop of this 14th edition. Many new visible and rolling tracks before joining off-track sections. After the pass of Tifoujar , stony plateau before two passages of relatively difficult dunes.

THURSDAY OCTOBER 27, 2022
STAGE 9: AKJOUJT / OUAD NAGA: 435.56 kms
Special: 411.77 kms
Liaison: 23.79 km
Departure bivouac. Several passages of dune cords.
A typical Mauritanian stage which is relatively difficult.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 28, 2022
STAGE 10: OUAD NAGA / OUAD NAGA: 478.18 kms
Special: 456.04 kms
Liaison: 22.14 km
2nd loop . Departure bivouac. 90% sand between dunes and sandy tracks. Several more or less difficult dune crossings for a final loop stage.

SATURDAY OCTOBER 29, 2022
STAGE 11: OUAD NAGA / MPAL: 456.18 kms
Liaison: 36.55 kms
Special 1: 122.21 kms
Liaison: 222.30 kms
Special 2: 65.48 kms
Transfer: 9.64 kms
Crossing borders with a stage made up of 2 specials, one in Mauritania and the second, unprecedented, in Senegal. First special stage, between vegetation and therefore tracks not always visible. Second special on sandy tracks and many non-visible sections, in the middle of green vegetation at this season.

SUNDAY OCTOBER 30, 2022
STAGE 12: MPAL / DAKAR: 271.08 kms
Liaison: 201.00 kms
Special: 21.93 kms
Liaison: 48.15 km
The legendary “Lac Rose” special stage. A fun and sandy track along the beach. Trophy ceremony on the shores of the lake.

Source AER

The crown jewel of the South African Rally-Raid Championship (SARRC) has long been the Toyota 1,000 Desert Race, now known as the TGRSA 1,000 Desert Race. As the only marathon event on the calendar, the ‘Desert’ has been billed as the biggest motorsport event on the African continent, and the iconic race is set to take place again near Upington in the Northern Cape this weekend, from 24-26 June, 2022.

“The Desert Race is one of the key races for us,” says TOYOTA GAZOO Racing SA Team Principal, Glyn Hall. “Not only is it the longest race on the calendar, but the terrain in which it is run also closely resembles that of the gruelling Dakar Rally, in which we compete each January.”

This year, the TGRSA 1,000 Desert Race will be run as the second round of the championship, following the cancellation of the Sugarbelt 400, which was set to take place in KwaZulu-Natal last month. The floods that had devastated the area resulted in the cancellation of that race, leaving the teams competing in the SARRC with a longer-than-anticipated break between the opening round and the Desert Race.

For TGRSA, the upcoming event is more than just a key race in terms of Dakar preparation: The race is sponsored by Toyota SA Motors as part of its TGRSA motorsport activities, and as such it represents a home race for the team.

“There is always extra pressure at the Desert Race, but we are hopeful that we’re well-prepared, and we’re looking forward to the event,” continues Hall.

The team will be fielding four Class T1+ Toyota Hilux race cars, with defending national champions, Henk Lategan and co-driver Brett Cummings taking command of the first of these. Former champions Giniel de Villiers and co-driver Dennis Murphy will also be in action again, while Shameer Variawa and Danie Stassen will campaign the third of the team’s cars. The final entry will be in the hands of rally ace Guy Botterill and co-driver Simon Vacy-Lyle, who are fresh from a double victory in the South African National Rally Championship (NRC), where they campaign a locally built and developed Toyota Starlet.

Lategan/Cummings will be fielding a newly-built Toyota Hilux, and the entire team will complete some testing at a private facility near Upington prior to the race. Continues Hall: “It is important for us to validate the new parts and setups we’ve developed during the lull between races, and testing prior to the Desert Race is critical to our efforts.”

The team will be aiming to score as many points as possible during its home event, with added pressure on De Villiers/Murphy after their disastrous opening round of the season. The pair found themselves in a commanding position near the finish of the Mpumalanga 400 earlier this year, but fell foul to a deep mud hole almost within sight of the end of the race. They failed to score meaningful points as a result, with the victory going to teammates Lategan/Cummings instead. Variawa/Stassen ended in second place overall, and will also be in the hunt for a good result this weekend.

The 2022 TGRSA 1,000 Desert Race will get under way with a qualifying race on Friday morning, followed by the first race loop later in the day. Two more race loops follow on Saturday and Sunday, and the race HQ and Designated Service Park (DSP) will be situated at the Upington Expo Centre. Spectating is free and open to all, but fans who are unable to attend the race can follow the action via the Rally Safe app, which is available for both Apple and Android devices.

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing South Africa Acknowledges Its Sponsors and Specialist Official Suppliers and Technical Partners

Toyota enjoys a mutually beneficial relationship with TOYOTA GAZOO Racing SA, Innovation Group and Toyota Financial Services. Also Hallspeed, Motus Toyota, SKF, Spanjaard, Mastercraft, Edgecam, Supreme Springs, Shatterprufe, Smith’s Manufacturing, Lumotech and Plan-C Productions.

Source Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa

Hennie & Adriaan ready for biggest test of ’22 season

It’s destination Upington for Hennie de Klerk and navigator Adriaan Roets with their trusty TreasuryONE Amarok locked and loaded for the Kalahari Desert and the biggest test of its 2022 South African Rally-Raid Championship season.

2018 Dakar rookie winner Hennie and Roets are ready to tackle the jewel of the crown Toyota Gazoo Racing 1000 Desert Race from 24 to 26 June. “The Desert Race is the biggest race on the local calendar for 2022,” Hennie de Klerk pointed out. “It's 1000 kilometres over three days, so a long distance with a bivouac overnight. We must perform as best as we can each day, while at the same time staying focussed on completing the entire distance.

"It’s a mini Dakar in a sense, with many of the aspects we understand well from our experiences in South America and Saudi Arabia and best of all, it's right on our doorstep. “We will still be racing our trusty TreasuryONE Amarok Coyote V8 in the Desert Race while we continue to build our new T1+ WCT Hilux with an eye on our next Dakar adventure, but we are confident of another good result.

“The Amarok is still more than just competitive in the T1 class, so we’re keen to ruffle a few feathers, both in class and with some luck, overall up in the Northern Cape. “Can’t wait!”

Source TreasuryONE Motorsport via Motorsport Media

Time to race as five car team heads for Upington

Red-Lined Motorsport racing together with the Penta Motor Group is gearing up for its biggest adventure and toughest challenge of the 2022 South African Rally-Raid Championship as it heads to Upington for the Toyota Gazoo Racing 1000 Desert Race in a five-car attack, 24 – 26 June.

“The Desert Race is the jewel of the South African Rally-Raid Championship crown and 2022 is no exception,” Red-Lined team principal Terence Marsh pointed out. “It’s a most exciting one for us as we are taking five cars up to the gruelling Northern Cape semi-desert for three days of racing over a thousand kilometres in the biggest challenge of the local season.

“It’s a special one for us on a number of fronts too – we have two Red-Lined REVOs racing for the first time this weekend, one of them driven by a crack local crew, another with an international driver at the helm. “On top of that, there are a couple of dependable Red-Lined VK56’s in some capable hands, and then a 4x4 rookie at the wheel of one of our Red-Lined VK50 racers too. “

Topping the Red-Lined Motorsport attack is none other than former multiple South African cross country racing champion and 2022 Dakar hero Chris Visser, with Albertus Venter reading the notes aboard the Dragon Energy Red-Lined REVO. The Desert Race is North West Province local Visser’s playground and the man who grew up racing in the area, knows the terrain like the back of his hand. He and Venter are considered by many to be the ultimate Upington dark horses for overall honours, and among the FIA T1 class favourites as they tackle their first national aboard the radical new REVO.

International racer, Dubai-based Brit Thomas Bell returns to FIA T1 class action following a recent stint in side-by-side races aboard his brand new TBR Red-Lined REVO with local lad Wade Harris reading the notes. A seasoned competitor on the world stage and Dakar veteran, Bell is well versed in desert racing and he cannot wait to get to grips with his new steed in anger. This crew has a fine reputation of getting to the finish against all odds. The Desert Race should be no exception.

If finishing a race were an art form, then the Penta pairing of Philip Botha and Roelof Janse van Vuren would be considered the grand masters. This intrepid crew has quite incredibly now finished every one of the sixteen races and 44 stages that they have ever started aboard their Penta Motor Group VK56. That of course includes their first TGR Desert Race in 2021, so the main focus of Botha and van Vuren will be to continue with their current form as they build up to the 2023 Dakar.

The second Red-Lined VK56 heading to Upington will be in the hands of another hot rally raid rookie. OdorCure duo Johan de Bruyn and highly experienced navigator Gerhard Schutte head to Upington for Johan’s second national and fifth-ever cross country raid. Quick and dependable so far in his short dirt career, de Bruyn is an experienced circuit racer and he has adapted to his new racing genre with great aplomb. Now he’s savouring his biggest challenge yet aboard his FIA T1 class OdorCure VK56.

Last but not least, Nicolas Pienaar and Carl Swanepoel step up to the FIA T1 class for the first time as they debut their Super Energi Race Fuels VK50. Both are hugely excited about their first run in a production vehicle as they step up from a special vehicle for the first time. Their progress will be watched with interest in what is an incredibly competitive class.

“It has been a long wait since the opening round of the SA National Rally-Raid Championship way back in March following flood delays, postponements and a re-scheduled calendar, but the entire Red-Lined Motorsport team is primed for a great weekend in the desert,” Terence Marsh concluded. “Three days of ultimate racing adventure in the toughest and most challenging conditions lie ahead of us! “We can’t wait!”

*Red-Lined Motorsport competes with premium strategic partners, the Penta Motor Group, BFGoodrich, Motul, Dragon Energy, Jonnesway Tools, OMP, Expand a Sign and Wheel Collision.

Source Red-Lined Motorsport via Motorsport Media