Problem free Bronkhorstspruit for six car entry

Red-Lined Motorsport racing together with the Penta Motor Group took the short trip home from Bronkhorstspruit to Kyalami with a spring in their step after a most successful run at a dusty third round of the South African National Rally-Raid Championship over the weekend. All six Red-Lined machines entered finished the race within the top ten of the extremely competitive FIA T1 class after a trouble-free run across the board.

“That's the Bronkhorstspruit 400 done and dusted,” a delighted Red-Lined team boss Terence Marsh reported. “Our home race produced a great team result with six finishers from six starters for an incredible 100% finishing ratio in what is a tough and challenging event. “And most of all, we are extremely proud that all six cars covering our complete Red-Lined production range of T1 rally raid race cars, finished within the top ten.”

Chris Visser and Albertus Venter steered their Dragon Energy powered Red-Lined REVO to a fine second in class. “The plan today was simply to get a good finish after further developments and upgrades since our last event,” Chris Visser explained. "We had a trouble free run and were in a great dice for the lead all the way. “Now we are in a position to turn up the REVO’s wick a little more as we enter the latter part of the season."

Sixth in class, Philip Botha and Roelof Janse van Vuuren once again enjoyed a competitive race as they further extended their astounding finishing record run win a fine sixth in their Penta branded VK56. “We had a trouble-free run to extend our 100% finishing record since our debut 46 stages and 17 events ago,” a happy Philip Botha pointed out. “Thanks once again to the Red-Lined team for their incredible preparation!”

They finished ahead of T1 class rookies Nicolas Pienaar and Carl Swanepoel’s Super Energy Race Fuels VK50. “We had a super-clean run and our newly acquired VK50 did not miss a beat,” Pienaar reported. Johan De Bruyn and Gerhard Schutte also reported a clean mechanical run, bar a puncture on day two to finish eighth in their PentaSure branded VK56.

Red-Lined Motorsport’s two international crews followed, with Dutch duo Dave Klaassen and Tessa Rooth finishing ninth overall in their DaklaPack VK56. They also enjoyed a clean day besides a scary two-wheeled moment where they nearly rolled. Dubai-based Brit Thomas Edward Bell and Wade Harris fought back after a tough first day on Friday, to make it six Red-Lined finishers in a row in tenth aboard their Red-Lined REVO.

“On behalf of all our race crews, “I would like to make a huge shout-out to our entire technical team for all their good preparation as these results are testament to their hard work,” Terence Marsh concluded. “Now it is time to start preparing for the upcoming Nampo 800 on 30 September and 1 October!”

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

Source Red-Lined Motorsport via Motorsport Media

The weekend of 19 and 20 August, 2022, saw the running of the inaugural #TeamHilux Rally Raid in the area surrounding the Gauteng town of Bronkhorstspruit. While portions of the route had been used during previous events, the name of the race was all-new – but the rally-raid proved as challenging as ever. A high attrition rate played havoc with the Special Vehicle crews, though the cream again rose to the top as former champions Tim Howes and Gary Campbell (Timdrew Property BAT Spec 4) took the category win.

Two tough race loops of 160km each marked the second day of the #TeamHilux Rally-Raid in Bronkhorstspruit, as chilly weather gripped Southern Africa. With the mercury barely above freezing point, the race got under way at 08:00 on Saturday. Two race loops, split by a compulsory 30min visit to the Designated Service Park (DSP) was on the cards – it may have sounded straight-forward, even to the most experienced crews. But the route proved to be tougher than many had anticipated, with the dusty conditions adding to the challenge.

Despite this, Howes/Campbell proved their class by finishing first not only in Class A, but in the Special Vehicle Category overall. They set a time of 5hr 47min 58sec over the three race loops, besting the second-placed Class A crew of Lood du Preez and Chris Visser Junior (Farmers Meat Stryker) by more than an hour. Only the two Class A cars completed the race, as Sandra Labuschagne-Jonck and husband Jaco Jonck (KEC Racing BAT Viper) were forced to retire when a lower control arm broke, mid-way through day two of the event.

Class P saw only two starters in the event, both of whom retired before reaching the chequered flag at the Soetdoring Restaurant, near Bronkhorstspruit. Quentin Lessing and Noel Acton (Century CR-T) rolled their car on four separate occasions during the first of Saturday’s race loops; while Guy Henley and Bryan Schwim (CR2) had a coming-together with another competitor in thick dust, and were forced to withdraw from the remainder of the race.

This left the crews in the side-by-side Class G machines, who ensured an exciting finish to the weekend. The three top-scoring crews came home less than 5min apart after two days of racing, with Geoff Minnitt and co-driver Gerhard Snyman (Hydro Power Equipment Can-Am Maverick) emerging victorious. They had Peter Walter and Pierre Jordaan just two minutes behind them, with former champion Werner Mostert, now partnered with son Ian, rounding out the Class G podium in their Moto-Netix Racing Can-Am Maverick.

Next up for the SA Rally-Raid Championship is the double-header at Nampo, which takes place on 30 September and 1 October 2022, in the area surrounding the Free State town of Bothaville. This will represent rounds four and five of the 2022 SARRC, with a final double-header in Parys bringing the season to a climax later in the year.

Source SARRC
Images: Andre Schoeman

The inaugural #TeamHilux Rally-Raid Bronkhorstspruit concluded on Saturday 20 August, at the Soetdoring Restaurant near Bronkhorstspruit in Gauteng, after an exciting event that saw TOYOTA GAZOO Racing SA’s Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings take overall victory in the Production Vehicle Category. They had teammates Giniel de Villiers and co-driver Dennis Murphy for company, just 21sec behind, in second place. Third overall went to #TeamHilux Rally-Raid hosts, Johan and Werner Horn, in a Toyota Hilux T1+, similar to that used by the two works crews ahead of them.

The Class T1+ battle was a tough affair, but Lategan and Cummings prevailed despite opening the road on Day two of the event. The pair recorded a clean run in their TGRSA Toyota Hilux, closely followed by teammates De Villiers and Murphy. The two TGRSA crews were in a class of their own, with third-placed Johan and Werner Horn some 7min 9sec behind the winners by the time they reached the finish at the Designated Service Park (DSP).

Guy Botterill and co-driver Simon Vacy-Lyle finished in fourth place in Class T1+, driving another TGRSA Toyota Hilux, while the NWM Ford Castrol Team’s Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer rounded out the top five in the class, despite struggling with an overheating rear differential and side-shaft problems during the final loop of the race.

In Class T1.2 for rear-wheel-drive FIA cars, South Africa’s Ernest Roberts and co-driver Henry Köhne (JCP Steel Supplies CR-6) were the pick of the bunch, with the visiting French crew of Mathieu Serradori and Loic Minaudier showing their class to take second place in their Century Racing CR-6, 1min 12sec behind the flying Roberts. Lance Trethewey and Leonard Cremer (King Price Xtreme CR6) rounded out the Class T1.2 podium.

The dice of the weekend may have been between the top crews in Class T1, where stalwart Chris Visser and co-driver Albertus ‘Blikkies’ Venter in a Red-Lined Motorsport REVO faced off against Eben Basson and Leander Pienaar in their #TeamHilux Toyota Hilux T1. After a ding-dong battle, it was Basson/Pienaar who emerge victorious, posting the fourth-fastest time overall. Visser/Venter finished some three minutes behind the flying Basson/Pienaar, but their battle was certainly entertaining to the massive crowd who had made the short journey from Johannesburg and Pretoria to watch the action in Bronkhorstspruit.

The International crew of Daniel Schröder and Ryan Bland were third in Class T1, driving their Nissan Navara. They were followed home by a gaggle of cars grouped closely together, with Schalk Burger and Henk Janse van Vuuren (King Price Xtreme Mercedes-Benz) the pick of that bunch. Behind them came Richard Leeke and Zaheer Bodhanya in their Leeke Motorsport developed car; Philip Botha and Roelof Janse van Vuren (Red-Lined VK56); and Nicolas Pienaar and Carl Swanepoel in their Red-Lined VK50.

Class T saw youngster Jayden Els and co-driver Armand du Toit (King Price Xtreme Renault Duster) pip stalwart Johan van Staden and son Sean (KEC Racing Renault Duster) for the win, with Christo Rose and Arno Olivier taking third place in their Neil Woolridge Motorsport Ford Ranger.

The next round of the 2022 SA Rally-Raid Championship is the Nampo double-header near the Free State town of Bothaville, which is scheduled for 30 September and 1 October 2022. This will be round four and five of the championship, with the final double-header at Parys, bringing the season to a close.

Source SARRC
Images: Andre Schoeman

• Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer ended fifth in Class FIA T1+ in their NWM Ford Castrol Ranger after driveshaft issues hampered their challenge for a podium finish in Bronkhorstspruit
• Lance Woolridge and Elvéne Vonk have shifted their focus to testing and developing the T1+ NWM Ford Ranger for the remainder of the 2022 season, but were sidelined with identical driveshaft trouble
• NWM Ford Ranger V8 privateers Christo Rose and Arno Olivier earned third place after faultless drive

The Neil Woolridge Motorsport Ford Castrol Team had high hopes coming into this weekend’s third round of the South African Rally-Raid Championship, having introduced several upgrades to its two Class FIA T1+ EcoBoost-powered Ford Rangers. Unfortunately, the weekend didn’t go to plan, as unexpected front CV joint issues on the front driveshafts plagued their challenge for honours at the #TeamHilux Bronkhorstspruit 400 race on 19 and 20 August 2022.

Nevertheless, the improved pace of the NWM Ranger was evident from the outset, with Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer (277) leading the charge in Friday’s short 14km sprint qualifying session by posting the fastest time. This loop was ultimately cancelled due to navigation discrepancies amongst some of the competitors, meaning that their advantage was neutralised.

Friday’s 82km race loop thus became the opening stint for all crews, with Gareth and Boyd ending the day in third place after a slightly tentative outing, having narrowly missed rolling their vehicle in the earlier prologue. They finished 1 min 28 sec behind the leading Toyota of Henk Lategan/Brett Cummings, and a mere 35 sec adrift of the second Toyota of Giniel de Villiers/Dennis Murphy.

With team-mates Lance Woolridge and Elvéne Vonk (234) effectively out of championship contention due to two consecutive non-finishes, the team has elected for them to test several high-mileage race components for the remainder of the 2022 season as part of the crucial development programme for the T1+ Ranger. Although they had good pace for most of the 82km Friday loop, they suffered a front CV joint failure at the 65km mark. They struggled to remove the damaged driveshaft, but eventually made their way back to the pits in two-wheel drive, relegating them to the back of the field.

The teams were greeted by icy conditions on Saturday morning, but the action was expected to be hot, fast and furious. The top three crews were evenly matched throughout most of the day’s first 160km loop, with Gareth and Boyd comfortably in third place until 10km from the end when their Ranger also encountered a CV joint issue. They limped back to the pits, losing 10 minutes in the process which dropped them back to 10th overall and fifth in Class FIA T1+.

The NWM technicians efficiently replaced both front driveshafts within the allocated 30-minute service interval, allowing Gareth and Boyd to fight back on the final 160km loop, which they completed without incident. They ultimately finished seventh overall and held onto fifth place in T1+.

“There were a lot more positives than negatives this weekend,” Gareth says. “We’ve made great progress since Upington with numerous upgrades on the Ranger, which have made it much better. This gave us the opportunity to really be in the fight for the lead on today’s first loop, but then we had the same CV joint issue that Lance had on Friday. We lost a lot of time there because the driveshaft also punctured the tyre. We had a clean run on the second lap, but it was difficult to make back time.

“Getting fifth place today isn’t ideal for our championship, but with the next two events both being double-headers it’s all still to play for. We just need to have a couple of good races without any issues,” he adds.

Lance and Elvéne had a tough task battling through the field in the intense dust, but their tenacity ultimately counted for little as a second CV joint failure – and the resulting damage caused by the driveshaft – halfway through loop two saw them retiring.

“We had good speed today, with Gareth and I third and fourth-fastest through the first two splits, just 14 seconds off the times posted by the two leading Toyotas,” Lance says. “It shows that the upgrades we’ve done on the T1+ Rangers have worked well. However, as is often the case in motor racing, when you fix one thing something else comes up. We have some time before the next race, so we’ll be hard at work sorting out the CV joint issue.”

NWM team principal Neil Woolridge echoed the sentiment. “This race was very frustrating, as we put in a huge effort after the Desert Race, staying in Upington and doing three days and around 2 000km of testing. We learnt a lot and implemented at least 10 fairly substantial upgrades on the Ranger.

“We showed this weekend that the changes moved us significantly forward, and our pace has been very competitive against our rivals which is very gratifying,” Neil says. “The niggly problem we’ve had with the driveshafts is very disappointing, though. Obviously, a change we made on the front suspension has created an unexpected but identical issue on both cars, so we will go back and figure out what the problem is and rectify it for the next race.”

Source Neil Woolridge Motorsport Ford Castrol Team

De Klerk, Roets chasing Bronkhorstspruit silverware

The TreasuryONE Racing Amarok has buffed out nicely from its crunching Leniesdeel 300 Inland Off Road victory last time out and crew Hennie de Klerk and Adriaan Roets are all geed up and ready to race the Rally Raid Bronkhorstspruit on 19 and 20 August. And being Pretoria pair de Klerk and Roets’ home race, the team will be out to impress in the third round 2022 South African Rally Raid Championship race, just down the road from TreasuryONE headquarters.

“"Our team McGyver, aka Tjaart vd Walt from Prep Shop has some pressure to turn the TreasuryONE Amarok around in just two weeks since our dramatic Leniesdeel victory, but it all buffed out nice and we are ready to race the Bronkhorstspruit national,” Hennie de Klerk pointed out. “This is a pretty big race with a huge entry including all the local regulars and a healthy contingent of international crews and cars we know from the Dakar, but the Amarok is ready, Adriaan and I are ready and we are out to collect some trophies!"

TreasuryONE Racing and WCT Engineering are meanwhile flat out to get FIA T1+ class TreasuryONE Toyota Hilux prototype ready to later in the season with a view to a full 2023 campaign ahead of a return to Dakar in 2024 for that race's 2018 rookie winner de Klerk.

Source TreasuryONE Racing via Motorsport Media

Six car team all set for Red-Lined home race

Red-Lined Motorsport racing together with the Penta Motor Group is taking a six-car attack to its next T1 adventure as it prepares for its home round of the 2022 South African Rally Raid Championship at Bronkhorstspruit on 19 and 20 August.

“This weekend is our home round of the National Championship and as history has shown us, it’s going to be a tough one,” Red-Lined team principal Terence Marsh pointed out. “We are taking six cars out to the challenging far-eastern Gauteng maize fields, not far from our Kyalami headquarters at a crucial point of the 2022 championships. “It’s also something of an international race with a number of overseas competitors, including two within our Red-Lined team.

“Of our six T1 entries, we have five official crews out and we will also be assisting one of our customer teams. “Two of the cars are our latest Red-Lined REVOs, one driven by our local star crew, and the other with an international driver at the helm. “On top of that, there are three reliable Red-Lined VK56’s, two in the hands of capable local hands, and one driven by a crack international pair, and we will be supporting another local Red-Lined VK50 crew too."

Former multiple SA Rally Raid champion and Dakar hero Chris Visser leads the Red-Lined attack with Albertus Venter at his side in the Dragon Energy Red-Lined REVO. Among the FIA T1 class favourites, Visser and Venter are getting to grips with their radical REVO and can be expected to be a considerable threat for a win this weekend. Dubai-based Brit Thomas Bell will be back in action alongside local lad Wade Harris reading the notes in a second TBR Red-Lined REVO.

Penta pairing Philip Botha and Roelof Janse van Vuren will be looking to up their incredible 100% Rally Raid finishing record to 17 races and 46 stages with another strong result aboard their Penta Motor Group VK56. One of three VK56s heading to Bronkhorstspruit, they will be joined by the PentaSure duo, Rally Raid rookie circuit racing refugee Johan de Bruyn and experienced notes man Gerhard Schutte.

The third Red-Lined VK56 will be driven by Dutch pair Dave Klaassen and Tessa Rooth. They are back for more, following a successful sojourn in the season opening SA Rally Raid in Dullstroom earlier in the year. This competitive duo is among a healthy international contingent making its way to Bronkhorstspruit this weekend. Red-Lined will also be indirectly supporting Nicolas Pienaar and Carl Swanepoel on their FIA T1 class debut in their Super Energi Race Fuels VK50 this weekend.

“The third round of the South African National Championship is basically an international Rally Raid right here in Gauteng and our six-car Red-Lined Motorsport team is locked, loaded and ready to impress our home town,” Terence Marsh concluded. “We hope to see a lot of fans out there and wish all our Red-Lined crews nothing but the best in what promises to be a dusty and demanding race weekend.”

Source Red Lined Motorsport via Motorsportmedia

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing SA is gearing up for the next round of the 2022 South African Rally-Raid Championship, the #TeamHilux Rally-Raid Bronkhorstspruit, which takes place this weekend. Three TGRSA crews attained podium positions during the previous round of the championship, the TGRSA 1,000 Desert Race, putting them firmly in the spotlight for the upcoming event.

In the overall Production Category, Shameer Variawa and Danie Stassen find themselves in the lead, one point clear of teammates Giniel de Villiers and co-driver Dennis Murphy. Fellow Toyota Hilux T1+ driver Guy Botterill is in third place on the log, while defending champions Henk Lategan and co-driver Brett Cummings are in fifth place, 24 points behind the leaders.

“Shameer has had a cracking start to the season, and even though overall victory has eluded him, we are elated to see his name at the top of the leader board,” says TGRSA Team Principal, Glyn Hall. “Shameer will want to record another good result this weekend, but so will the rest of the team, which is sure to make for exciting racing.”

TGRSA will again be fielding four identical Toyota Hilux T1+ race cars this weekend, with all four cars having undergone full rebuilds after the gruelling TGRSA 1,000 Desert Race. The team will also be adding a number of enhanced suspension components for the weekend, as well as a newly tweaked engine map, which is aimed at extracting the maximum performance from the stock twin-turbo V6 engine, while remaining within the limits imposed by the FIA.

“With that said, we do know that one of our competitors will be using an updated power setup themselves, which has been agreed and ratified by the FIA,” continues Hall. “So, even though we are making strides of our own, we’ll have to keep a close eye on the competition this weekend.”

This weekend’s race will kick off with a 15 km-long qualifying race, to determine the starting order for the main event. The qualifier starts on Friday at 12:00 from the Soetdoring Restaurant near the Gauteng town of Bronkhorstspruit, and will be followed by the first of the weekend’s three race loops, at 14:00. Two more race loops follow on Saturday, starting at 08:00, and there will be a compulsory break of 30 minutes between the two race loops. Fans can follow the action online via the RallySafe app, or visit the event where access is free of charge.

Source TGRSA

The #TeamHilux Rally-Raid Bronkhorstspruit, the third round of the SA Rally-Raid Championship that takes place on 19 and 20 August on the Gauteng border, will give teams competing in the Special Vehicle Category the opportunity to bag a healthy amount of points towards the overall and class championships.

This category has received a reasonable number of entries which means that teams who finish the race at Bronkhorstspruit, will secure a good helping of points. This can assist in strengthening leads or solidify standings as the season reaches the halfway mark.

Various teams who scored points in the overall Special Vehicle Category as well as in Class A at the Mpumalanga 400 at the beginning of the season, are now competing in the new FIA T1.2 Class for 4x2 vehicles in the Production Vehicle Category. This means there are a few teams who lost out on some points at the season opener, but it also means that current competitors can walk away with lots more points if they make it to the finish.

Two solid performances for former overall and Class A champions, Tim Howes/Gary Campbell (Timdrew Property Development BAT Spec 4) have put them in the lead although the Trace Price Moor/Shaun Braithwaite pairing are not too far behind in the Tip Top Milk BAT Venom. Braithwaite will, however, not be at Bronkhorstspruit and Alaric Smith will read the notes for Trace. Lood du Preez/Chris Visser Jnr (Farmers Meat Stryker) have also scored after both the first two events and have a strong standing in the Class A championship although they are somewhat down on the overall standings.

Sandra Labuscagne-Jonck and her navigator-husband, Jaco Jonck (KEC Racing BAT Viper) can also gain from the situation where some teams are now competing in the Production Vehicle Category and the couple can move up the overall scoreboard if they can add points to their tally after the season opener. More points will also make up for the fact that they could not score at the recent TGRSA 1000 marathon event at Upington.

Keith and Andre Makenete who have moved to Class A in their BAT Makmobile, missed the desert race but are back for more action while LC de Jager/Rikus Hattingh (Porter) will again be aiming for their first points.

Class P will again see Quentin Lessing and Noel Acton (Century CR-T) going for gold as the team will aim to build on their finish, class win and good points earned at Upington. They will be joined by Guy Henley and Bryan Schwin in the ageing CR 2.

With two Class G Side-x-Side (SxS) Championship victories for Werner Mostert and his son, Ian (Moto-Netix Can-Am Maverick), the team have a solid lead while they have also jumped to the third step on the overall Special Vehicle Championship podium. A hat-trick of Class G SxS victories will suit them perfectly.

Geoff Minnitt/Gerhard Snyman (Hydro Power Equipment Can-Am Maverick) have been scoring consistently this season and the team is close enough to the leaders to turn the tables if anything happens. Glen Theron/Craig Galvin (Moto-Netix Racing Can-Am Maverick) made their SA Rally-Raid debut at Upington and a podium result together with some good points adds to the motivation to be back for more. The defending champions, Cecil and Elardus Larney (Can-Am Maverick SxS) still have to get their title chase off the ground while Francois de Wit/Ewald van Rensburg, competing with a similar Can-Am, will make their debut at Bronkhorstspruit. Peter Walter and Pierre Jordaan also make a welcome appearance at the #TeamHilux Rally-Raid Bronkhorstspruit.

The #TeamHilux Rally-Raid Bronkhorstspruit starts on Friday, 19 August at 12:00 from the Soetdoring Restaurant when teams have to complete a short 15km Pirelli Qualifying Race that will determine the starting order for the 83km Loop One which, commences at 14:00. Soetdoring Restaurant just outside Bronkhorstspruit will host the Start/Finish, Race Headquarters as well as the Designated Service Park (DSP) on both days.

On Saturday, 20 August the race will continue at 08:00 when teams take on the first of two 160km loops in the order of Friday’s results. There will also be a compulsory 30 minute service break between the two loops at the DSP. Spectators are welcome and can experience the racing action from various vantage points on the route.
The race can also be followed on the RallySafe App which can be downloaded free of charge from the iStore and Google Play Store.

Source: SARRC
Images: Andre Schoeman

Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer currently fourth overall in Class FIA T1+ in the leading Neil Woolridge Motorsport Ford Castrol EcoBoost-powered Ranger
Lance Woolridge and Elvéne Vonk determined to get points on the board after two non-finishes in the opening rounds, despite impressive pace
NWM Ford Ranger V8 privateers Christo Rose/Arno Olivier and Bernard/Minette Johnstone will be vying for Class T victory

The NWM Ford Castrol Team will come out with all guns blazing when the South African Rally-Raid Championship (SARRC) resumes for round three of the 2022 season on 19 and 20 August in Bronkhorstspruit.
Officially titled the Team Hilux Rally-Raid Bronkhorstspruit, the event will once again be staged on the border of the Gauteng and Mpumalanga provinces after last taking place in 2020. As the crucial mid-way point in the 2022 championship, it promises to deliver a thrilling battle amongst the top contenders in the closely fought Production Vehicle category.
The Neil Woolridge Motorsport (NWM) team continues to develop and refine its impressive new twin-turbocharged EcoBoost-powered Castrol-sponsored T1+ Ford Ranger, and is more determined than ever to reverse its fortunes after two difficult opening races this year.
For the young pairing of Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer (277), it will be another important opportunity to maximise their points in the fight for the 2022 SARRC title, and continue their hunt for an elusive first overall win in the premier category. They finished third at the season-opening Mpumalanga 400 in March, followed by fifth at the Desert Race in June after their charge was hampered by an oil cooler failure on the opening loop of the three-day event.
Woolridge and Dreyer are currently fourth overall in the Class FIA T1+ championship on 52 points – with 15 points separating them from current leaders Giniel de Villiers/Dennis Murphy (Toyota).
Team-mates Lance Woolridge and Elvéne Vonk (234) have shown race-winning pace in both events this season in the T1+ Ranger. However, they were sidelined in Mpumalanga while leading the race, after hitting a tree in the wet and slippery conditions which damaged the chassis. Running at the sharp end of the field after qualifying third at the Desert Race in Upington, their efforts came to nothing as engine trouble halted their challenge on day two.

“So far the 2022 season has been a mix of ups and downs,” says NWM team principal Neil Woolridge. “We have shown that we are in a position to lead races and fight for overall wins and podium results. Unfortunately, luck hasn’t gone our way, but we remain positive and confident that we will be able to take the fight to the championship leaders for the second half of the season.”

After the upcoming two-day Bronkhorstspruit race, the SARRC features two double-header races at Nampo and Parys, so there’s a lot to fight for and the championship is far from over for Gareth and Boyd.

Lance and Elvéne are aiming to make amends after the disappointment of the two consecutive retirements. “Lance is driving better than ever thanks to the fantastic international experience he is gaining driving for Veloce Racing in Extreme E where he is competing against the best rally-raid drivers in the world. This weekend he will be racing in a rallycross event at the famous track in Hell, Norway, so there’s no doubt he will go into the Bronkhorstspruit race on a high,” Neil says.

“We have been hard at work further developing our T1+ Rangers, using the valuable information and experience gleaned from the past two events,” he adds. “We also completed an extensive three-day test in Upington straight after the Desert Race where we tried various set-ups and learned a lot about the car, and this will give us even greater momentum for the rest of the season.”

NWM-supported privateers

Christo Rose and Arno Olivier (T58) are the top NWM-supported privateers in the Class T championship, competing in the V8-powered NWM Ford Ranger. They are currently second in the standings on 46 points after two podium finishes in a row, just four points adrift of Jayden Els/Armand du Toit (Renault Duster V8) and eager to get the win.

The husband-and-wife pairing of Bernard and Minette Johnstone (T22) is fourth overall on 25 points in the NWM Ford Ranger V8, seven points behind the Renault of Johan/Sean van Staden.

Race programme

Competitors will face almost 420km of intense racing from the moment the flag drops for the start of the Bronkhorstspruit event. A short but crucial 15km qualifying sprint commences at 12:00 on Friday, 19 August, which will determine the starting order for the first 83km race loop that sets off at 14:00.

The results of loop one will define the starting positions for Saturday, 20 August, with the action beginning at 08:00 with a 160km race loop, followed by a mandatory 30-minute service stop at the designated service park (DSP) and a repeat of the 160km route for loop two.

Race headquarters, DSP and the start/finish will be located at the Soetdoring Restaurant facility just off the N4 highway in Bronkhorstspruit – just over an hour’s drive from Johannesburg and approximately 30 minutes from Pretoria. This makes it easily accessible to motorsport fans from Gauteng, as well as Mpumalanga. Access to the DSP is free, and the race route provides numerous easily accessible spectator points.

Follow all the action and track the position of the crews throughout each of the 2022 season’s races using the RallySafe app which can be downloaded free of charge for iOS and Android devices.

Source NWM Ford Castrol Team
Photo:Andre Schoeman

The Team Hilux Rally-Raid Bronkhorstspruit, the third round of the 2022 South African Rally-Raid Championship that takes place on 19 and 20 August in the Bronkhorstspruit area on the outskirts of Gauteng, will produce lots of action as various battles in the overall Production Vehicle Category as well as the various class championships will keep everyone on their toes. With the year past the halfway mark, but only two rounds of the championship ticked off so far, anything can still happen – and probably will.

The season has seen two different winners after the first two events of the season with a third team leading the overall standings. The defending champions, Henk Lategan/Brett Cummings (Toyota Gazoo Racing DKR Hilux T1+) claimed the victory at the Mpumalanga 400 at Dullstroom with their team-mates, Giniel de Villiers/Dennis Murphy bagging lots of points after winning the TGRSA 1000 marathon event. Lategan/Cummings could, however, not finish the desert race and with two solid podium results, another TGRSA DKR Hilux T1+ team, Shameer Variawa/Danie Stassen, will go to Bronkhorstspruit as the overall Production Vehicle Championship leaders.

This scenario will add to the pressure on all three teams with a fourth TGRSA DKR Hilux T1+ team, the multiple SA National Rally champions, Guy Botterill/Simon Vacy-Lyle, also meaning business as they are currently third in the overall standings with only a handful of points separating the teams.

To add to the mix, the event sponsors, Team Hilux Rally-Raid, will have three teams in the field with the Horn brothers, Johan and Werner, also competing in the FIA T1+ class and a good result will go down well in the record books. The two NWM Ford Castrol T1+ Rangers in the hands of the Woolridge brothers, Lance/Elvéne Vonk and Gareth/Boyd Dreyer, have a few scores to settle. Gareth/Dreyer have completed both events so far this season and are between the leaders while Lance/Vonk will be hoping to get the monkey off their back and score their first points.

The fact is the standings in the FIA T1+ class championship are looking somewhat different as De Villiers/Murphy are leading Variawa/Stassen with Botterill/Vacy-Lyle third and it is battles like this that will add yet another dimension to the race. (The FIA T1+ points are still provisional.)

Steady performances including winning the FIA T1 class at the season opener, resulted in the #TeamHilux Rally-Raid Toyota Hilux team of Eben Basson/Leander Pienaar leading the class and although they have a small breathing space to the rest, they can by no means relax. The team will again see the Blignaut brothers of Fouche and Bertus going for more points albeit only competing in their second national event.

Only three points separate the three teams behind the FIA T1 leaders and a shuffle in the standings after the Bronkhorstspruit event, is quite possible. The experienced team of Gary Bertholdt/Juan Möhr (Toyota Hilux) is currently second followed by Philip Botha/Roelof Janse van Vuren (Red-Lined Motorsport VK56) and the German driver, Daniel Schröder with KZN navigator, Ryan Bland in the WCT Engineering prepared Nissan Navara.

The rest of the hungry pack that will be chasing for victory, the podium and good results, includes three Red-Lined Motorsport teams. Veteran driver, Chris Visser and Albertus Venter would like to show what they can do with their Red-Lined Motorsport REVO while their team-mates, Johan de Bruyn/Gerhard Schutte (Red-Lined VK56) as well as the international pairing of Dave Klaassen/Tessa Rooth, will be competing in their second event on South African soil and regular Dubai visitor, Thomas Bell/Wade Harris (REVO) will also be in action again. Nicolas Pienaar/Carl Swanepoel (Super Energi Race Fuels) will be putting their Red-Lined VK56 through its paces for the first time in the SA Rally-Raid Championship.

The #TeamHilux Rally-Raid Bronkhorstspruit will hopefully be a good event for teams like Hennie de Klerk/Adriaan Roets (TreasuryOne VW Amarok); Schalk Burger/Henk Janse van Vuuren (King Price Xtreme Mercedes Benz) and Richard Leeke/Zaheer Bodhanya (Leeke Motorsport).

The new FIA T1.2 class for 2wd vehicles brims with entries that include two more international teams to add to the international flavour of the #TeamHilux Rally-Raid Bronkhorstspruit. Two French teams, Mathieu Serradori and Loic Minaudier, will make their debut in SA with a Century Racing CR6 T Audi Turbo while the Galpin pairing of Jerome and Maxime will tackle the event in their Century Racing CR6. Jerome and wife Anne finished a credible fourth in the class at the TGRSA 1000 Desert Race. These teams will be joined by the class leader, Brian Baragwanath who just missed out on an overall podium at the recent desert race in Upington, with Rodney Burke in the navigator’s seat.

Also back for more points is Lance Trethewey, now partnered by Baragwanath’s team mate and navigator, Leonard Cremer (King Price Xtreme Century Racing CR6) while JCP Steel Supplies team-mates, Ernest Roberts/Henry Köhne and Malcolm and Frans Kock as well as Dewald van Breda/Johann du Toit in similar CR6 vehicles, will be looking for their first points in the category this season.

An interesting entry in the FIA T1.2 class, is the WCT Engineering HT2 Toyota Hilux Turbo 2wd vehicle that will be in the hands of the adventure athlete, Simon Murray with former SA Rally champion, Megan Verlaque, reading the notes while the creator of the vehicle and regular co-driver, Achim Bergmann, is away for the Swiss Epic cycle race.
The young Jayden Els, who just turned 18 and navigator, Armand du Toit (King Price Xtreme Renault Duster) won Class T at the recent desert race in Upington and took the lead in Class T. They will be chased by the experienced Johan van Staden and his son, Sean (KEC Racing Renault Duster) who will be looking to give Lady Luck a ride for better luck as well as the Neil Woolridge Motorsport Ford Ranger team of Christo Rose/Arno Olivier.

The Team Hilux Rally-Raid Bronkhorstspruit will start at 12:00 on Friday, 19 August with a short 15km Pirelli Qualifying Race at the Soetdoring Restaurant on the outskirts of the town where the Start/Finish, Race Headquarters as well as the Designated Service Park (DSP) will be situated. The results of the 15km racing section will determine the starting order for the 83km Loop One when the flag drops 14:00.

The race will continue on Saturday morning at 08:00 with teams taking on the first of two 160km loops according to the results of the previous day. There will be a compulsory 30 minute service break at the DSP between the two loops. Spectators will be treated to an action packed race in the Bronkhorstspruit area and can also follow the event on the RallySafe App that can be downloaded free of charge from the iStore and Google Play Store.

Source SACCS
Photo:Andre Schoeman

The race was held in the Northern Cape province, based in the town of Springbok, and covered about 2000 km over the last 4 days (29/7 to 1/8).
The stages forced the teams to cover about 600km a day, which were extremely challenging, especially in terms of navigation and mechanical management of the vehicles.
After winning 2nd place in the "SXS" category in the Kalahari Rally in September last year, the Angolan team keeps the flame lit for 2024, the year in which it intends to compete in the main international off-road event, the DAKAR RALLY.

João Lota, driver, shared that "we intend to continue our preparation for the Dakar in 2024, taking advantage of races like this, which are similar in everything, and it was therefore a good test!"

The navigator Nuno Santos stated that the team is evolving and defended that the main objective was the learning obtained, considering the final classification secondary, although obviously important.

The Angola Rally Team competed in the SXS category, with a CAN AM Maverick X3 vehicle, and was assisted by the South African team "MOTO-NETIX".

Automatic translation from the original Portuguese version

Source: ART - Angola Rally Team

The Team Hilux Rally-Raid Bronkhorstspruit, the third round of the SA Rally-Raid Championship that takes place on 19 and 20 August in the Bronkhorstspruit area on the outskirts of Gauteng, will present teams with an enjoyable route and if the competition so far this season is anything to go by, spectators will be spoiled with exciting racing action.
With a seven week hiatus since the gruelling TGRSA 1000 Desert Race at Upington in the Northern Cape, teams will be ready and looking forward to take on the next round of the series and revisiting the Bronkhorstspruit area, and after not racing there during the 2021 season, will remind them why this event has become so popular over the years.
With the season consisting of seven rounds, the Team Hilux Rally-Raid Bronkhorstspruit will also represent the halfway mark of the 2022 SA Rally-Raid Championship with more valuable points towards the various title chases in the Production Vehicle and Special Vehicle Championships up for grabs.
The Team Hilux Rally-Raid Bronkhorstspruit returns to the same popular venue, now called the Soetdoring Restaurant just outside the town where the Race Headquarters as well as the Designated Service Point (DSP) and the Start/Finish of the race will be situated.
On Friday, 19 August the wheels will start turning at 12:00 when teams take on the short 15 kilometre Pirelli Qualifying Race with the results determining the starting order for the 83 kilometre loop one that starts at 14:00. There will be a total of three neutralisation sections the in the loop of which two will be a kilometre in distance and one will be five kilometres.
The results of loop one will again determine the starting positions for the first of the two 160 kilometre loops on Saturday morning.
On Saturday morning, 20 August loop two will start at 08:00 from the Soetdoring Restaurant and after teams have completed it, there will be a compulsory 30 minute service break at DSP before they tackle loop three. There will be three neutralisation sections in the loop – two short one kilometre sections and a longer 14 kilometre section.
Not having raced at Bronkhorstspruit since 2020, some competitors might have to sharpen their memories while it will be a new racing experience for others. According to the SA Rally-Raid Route Director, Rudi Muller, the route will consist of mostly hardpack and smooth roads around cultivated fields with rocky and technical sections making up 20% of the route.
Spectators are welcome to view the action along the route, and with Bronkhorstspruit just over an hour’s drive from Johannesburg and half an hour from Pretoria and eMalahleni, it will be an easy drive to get to the race. The Team Hilux Rally-Raid Bronkhorstspruit promises to be as enjoyable for the competitors as it will be for the supporting spectators.

Source SARRC
Photo: Andre Schoeman