The entry list for The Renault KEC 400, the opening round of the SA Rally-Raid Championship that takes place on 27 and 28 June from Legends Adventure Farm Rhino Park between Pretoria and Bronkhorstspruit, brims with the names of teams that will no doubt produce high octane racing from start to finish.
With the season starting a few months later than usual, an action-packed second half of the year awaits and if the local participation and competition in the recent South African Safari Rally is anything to go by, neither competitors nor their supporters will be able to take a break before it is all over.
For the first round, teams return to Legends Adventure Farm Rhino Park where they concluded the 2024 season and although it will be familiar, the new team combinations as well as new vehicles could result in the outcome being totally different than expected.
The Ultimate FIA T1+ Class has drawn the most entrants which, includes no less than nine international competitors. Various champions and former champions will again go for gold while being kept humble by numerous combinations who will also aim for the titles.
The experienced driver and multiple champion Giniel de Villiers, stays behind the wheel of a Toyota, paired with the multiple navigator champion, Leander Pienaar, this team will take on the rest of the field in the colours of #TeamHilux Rally-Raid with the Toyota DKR Hilux T1+ Evo.
And after a great top five result at the recent SA Safari Rally, the 2023 SARRC champions, Gareth Woolridge/Boyd Dreyer (Castrol Ford Rally-Raid NWM EVO Plus) will be super motivated for the season. And while the De Villiers/Pienaar combination will have the Blignaut brothers, Fouché and Bertus (Toyota DKR Hilux T1+), who clinched the victory in the Road to Dakar Series at the SA Safari Rally that secured them free registration for the 2026 Dakar Rally, in their camp, there will be two more NWM EVO Plus teams in the Castrol Ford camp.
The Brazilian team of Marcos Baumgart/Kleber Cincea who are no strangers to the SARRC scene, and the affable local team of Wors Prinsloo/André Vermeulen will also be competing in the Ultimate FIA T1+ Class.
The more things change, the more they stay the same and this will be the case of Toyota Gazoo Racing who will again have their eye on the ultimate prize.
Team TGR will include the rally-ace and runner-up in the 2024 SARRC, Guy Botterill who has teamed up with the Spanish navigator, Oriol Mena Valdearcos (Toyota Hilux IMT EVO) and young gun, Saood Variawa and his French navigator, Francois Cazalet. They will be joined by a third TGR Hilux, with the team still to be announced, with the trio undoubtedly aiming to defend the longstanding Toyota legacy.
The Red-Lined Motorsport equipe will also be filled with talent, with youngsters Jayden Els/Johan Swemmer (Red-Lined REVO T1+ GTR) the only local team in the squad. Els/Swemmer showed their mettle and performed exceptionally well at the SA Safari Rally and they will aim to continue this trend in the SARRC. The two familiar Dutch teams will also again be in the line-up – Rients Hofstra/Evert Boersma (Red-Lined REVO T1+ GTR) and Dave and Tessa Klaassen (Daklapack Rallysport Red-Lined Revo GTR).
The German regular, Daniel Schröder and local navigator, Henry Köhne (WCT VW Amarok) will also fancy their chances in the Ultimate FIA T1+ class.
All teams score in the overall standings and therefore stand a chance to the title while the different class titles are also up for grabs. A new class, the Ultimate SA T1+ Class, has been added to the SARRC and four teams will be vying for the title. The experienced Horn brothers, Johan and Werner will bring their #TeamHilux Rally-Raid Toyota Hilux to the battlefield while the weapon of choice for Danie Ludick/Denzil Williamson, who started competing in the series during the 2024 season, will do so in their Red-Lined REVO T1+. Newbie Cor Kraamwinkel and regular navigator, Armand du Toit (King Price Xtreme) will be out in the VW Amarok. The class will be rounded off by Rally stalwarts Marko Himmel and Francois Schoonbee in a Red-Lined Navara Evo.
The Adventurer Class has also attracted some good entries with the defending champion, Gerhard Heinlein teaming up again with his father, Rudi while his brother, Nickus will also be in action together with navigator Jaco Kriel. Both teams will bring their trusty Red-Lined VK56 to the fray.
Two more Red-Lined Motorsport powered teams, Johan de Bruyn/Adriaan Roets (Red-Lined REVO T1), who battled for top honours in this class last season, as well as the Belgian team of Vincent Vroninks/Dave Berghmans (Red-Lined VK 56) will bulk up the Adventurer Class while the evergreen, Johan van Staden and his son, Sean (Renault Duster) will again add their usual flair to the exciting Adventurer Class.
The Challenger Class attracted two entries with all four competitors no strangers to the SARRC at all. The Stellenbosch lady student, Puck Klaassen, who has completed the Dakar Rally twice, teams up with multiple navigator champion, Danie Stassen (GRally OT3) while the Dutch youngster – and no relation to Puck – Pim Klaassen has acquired the services of the experienced navigator, Gerhard Schutte (Taurus T3Max).
The Renault KEC 400 starts on Friday, 27 June at 10:15 with the short Falken Wild Peak Prologue at Legends Adventure Farm where the Race Headquarters as well as the Start/Finish will be situated. The prologue will determine the starting order for Stage One that starts at 13:15 and will consist of approximately 85 kilometres. The combined results of Friday, 27 June will decide the starting positions for Stage Two that kicks off at 8:30 on Saturday morning when teams will take on a 175 kilometre section.
After the completion of Stage Two and a 30-minute compulsory de-control at the Designated Service Park at Legends Adventure Farm, competitors will take on Stage Three which comprises a repeat of the 175 kilometre Stage Two, before the podium ceremonies.
The Renault KEC 400 can be followed via the RallySafe App available as a free download from Google PlayStore and iStore while spectators are welcome to follow the action along the route from various vantage points.
Published by: Charmaine Fortune
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