Hot racing action on an icy cold, but sunny day characterized the first racing section of The Renault KEC 400, the opening round of the compressed 2025 SA Rally-Raid Championship that takes place from Legends Adventure Farm Rhino Park between Pretoria and Bronkhorstspruit this weekend, 27 and 28 June, and if the first 100 kilometres of racing are anything to go by, it is going to be one for the books.
Structured as a Super Event, the short 20km Castrol Qualifying Race of the Renault KEC 400 determined the starting order for Stage One (80km) with both racing sections taking place on Friday. And after the dust settled, the results of the Falken Wild Peak prologue showed a mere two seconds separating the leaders, Fouché and Bertus Blignaut (#TeamHilux Rally-Raid Toyota DKR Hilux T1+) from Jayden Els/Johan Swemmer (Red-Lined REVO T1+ GTR) with the three teams behind them posting the same times – Guy Botterill/Oriol Mena Valdearcos (Toyota Gazoo Racing Hilux IMT EVO); Lance Woolridge, who stood in for Wors Prinsloo and navigator, André Vermeulen (Castrol Ford Rally-Raid NWM EVO PLUS) and Daniel Schröder/Henry Köhne (WCT VW Amarok).
Gareth Woolridge/Boyd Dreyer (Castrol Ford Rally-Raid NWM EVO PLUS) finished a mere two seconds behind the three pairs and were only two seconds ahead of the second #TeamHilux Rally-Raid Toyota DKR Hilux T1+ of Giniel de Villiers/Leander Pienaar with six seconds the difference between the leading seven teams. The rest of the top 10 were made up by two more TGR Hilux IMT EVO contenders, the Portuguese team of Joao Ferreira/Filipe Palmeiro and Saood Variawa/Francois Cazalet and the third #TeamHilux Rally-Raid Toyota of the Horn brothers, Johan and Werner who were first in the Ultimate T1+ SA Class behind the nine Ultimate FIA T1+ teams.
These 10 teams then draw for the starting positions for Stage One and it was Els/Swemmer who had to open the road followed by Variawa/Cazalet and their Portuguese team-mates; De Villiers/Pienaar; Woolridge/Dreyer and Woolridge/Vermeulen sandwiching Schröder/Köhne with the two brother pairings – the Blignauts and the Horns – rounding off the top 10.
It was the same for all with a route described as tricky, rougher than expected according to some, with rocky sections, dust and mud and enjoyable for most. In the end it was Botterill/Valdearcos who posted the best total time (01:17:13) despite racing together for the first time and having to navigate without a GPS due to the equipment being faulty. Only seven seconds separated them from Gareth Woolridge/Dreyer with Variawa/Cazalet a further 11 seconds behind.
SA Behind them the two remaining Castrol Ford Rally-Raid NWM EVO PLUS teams finished within 16 seconds of each other with Lance Woolridge/Vermeulen seventh after losing time having to fasten bonnet clips before being hindered by a flat tyre towards the end of the stage. Their Brazilian team-mates, Marcos Baumgart/Kleber Cincea were eighth with the leaders of the Adventurer Class, Johan de Bruyn/Adriaan Roets (Red-Lined REVO T1) ninth (01:23:54) and the leaders of the Challenger Class, Pim Klaassen/Gerhard Schutte (Daklapack Rallysport Taurus T3 Max) three seconds behind them in 10th place.
There was drama for three of the teams who started in the top 10 including the Blignaut brothers, the winners of the Falken Wild Peak prologue, who were not able to finish after they hit a bump that broke a rear damper while the Portuguese TGR team overshot and landed in a river. Els/Swemmer also had to call it a day.
It was however a good day for lady driver, Puck Klaassen together with Danie Stassen (GRally OT3) with the team ending up 11th overall and second in the Challenger Class, only two seconds behind the class leaders.
Danie Ludick/Denzil Williamson (Red-Lined Revo T1+) opened their title chase on a positive note by finishing second in the Ultimate T1+ SA Class. They were 12th overall with SARRC newcomer driver, Cor Kraamwinkel and navigator, Armand du Toit (King Price Xtreme VW Amarok) finishing third in this class. They were 14th overall, seven seconds ahead of Marko Himmel/Francois Schoombee (Red-Lined Navara Evo) who were fourth in this class and 15th overall albeit struggling with visibility due to malfunctioning windscreen wipers. Also in the top 15 were the father and son pairing of Johan and Sean van Staden (Renault Duster) who finished the first day in 13th place and second in the Adventurer Class.
Three more teams, all competing with the Red-Lined VK56 in the Adventurer Class, received the chequered flag with Nickus Heinlein/Jaco Kriel posting their first podium result as SARRC newcomers. They were 18th overall followed by the rest of the Heinlein family, brother Gerhard and dad Rudi (19th) and the Belgium team of Vincent Vroninks/Dave Berghmans (20th overall).
The two Dutch teams, Rients Hofstra/Evert Boersma (Red-Lined REVO T1+ GTR) and Dave and Tessa Klaassen (Daklapack Rallysport Red-Lined REVO T1+ GTR) were eighth and ninth in the FIA Ultimate T1+ Class and were 16th and 17th respectively.
With not much separating the teams and the first points towards the championships as reward, the competition will be fierce and those who can take the pressure and keep it together, will open their scorecards successfully.
The Renault KEC 400 will continue on Saturday with Stages Two and Three of 175 kilometres each. The action will take place from Legends Adventure Farm Rhino Park with the leading team out of the blocks at 08:30.
Published by: Charmaine Fortune
Photography by: Dave Ledbitter
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