The upcoming Century Property Development – Century Racing Outeniqua 400, the third round of the SA Rally-Raid Championship that takes place on 28 and 29 August from Louvain Guest Farm in the Upper Langkloof of the Western Cape’s charming Garden Route, marks the halfway mark of the season and the competing teams are ready and looking forward to this well-liked event on the national calendar.
A quality field of local and international teams have entered for the event that was postponed in May due to the excessive flooding and although the valley between George and Uniondale are still seeing the aftereffects and damage of the floods with even more rains since, competitors and spectators are again in for a treat that will produce exciting and demanding racing.
The entry list brims with familiar faces as well as a few new team combinations while various Dutch teams as well as more international competitors will be lining up for the 2026 Century Property Development – Century racing Outeniqua 400. The main sponsors of the event, Gauteng-based businesses Century Property and Century Racing, are not only supporting the national Rally-Raid championship, but they will be well represented with no less than six Century Racing vehicles that will be in action.
Three Century Racing vehicles will be competing in Ultimate FIA T1+ where Jayden Els/Johann Swemmer (CR Factory CR7) will be looking for another good result after finishing second at the recent GR 1000. Another good result will not only make their sponsors proud, but it will also solidify their championship onslaught. Two more CR7 vehicles, both in the hands of Dutch competitors, will compete in this class. Rik van den Brink and Gydo Heimans (Brinky Rally Sport) are no strangers to the SARRC while it will be a first experience for Michiel Becx and Sander van Barschot.
The team is also excited to have the CEO of Century Property Developments and a competitor for three decades, Mark Corbett, back in the seat sharing the new Century Racing CRX with his son, Max, with the team competing in the Challenger Class. Local teams Lood du Preez/Adriaan Roets (Farmers Meat CR6) will hope to get back on the Ultimate SA T1+ podium after winning the season opener, but not being able to complete the marathon event while Eugene Bierman/Marius Lombard will be competing for the second time this season.
Toyota Gazoo Racing won both the first two events of the season and they will not only be out to make it a hat-trick of victories, but to defy results at this event last year.
The winners of the season opener, SARR champion, Saood Variawa and navigator, Charan Moore and their team-mates and winners of the recent GR1000 Marathon, Guy Botterill and Henry Köhne (TGR Hilux IMT EVO) will be looking to lead rather than to make up for lost time as they had to do last year after running into some difficulties early in the race. And after two strong performances this season, young Sa’aad Variawa will take on the Garden Route for the first time, this time with Spanish navigator, Oriol Valdearcos reading him the notes.
Former multiple champions, Giniel de Villiers and Dennis Murphy (#TeamHilux Rally-Raid DKR Hilux T1+ EVO) will be looking to claim gold again at De Villiers’ ‘home’ event. They will, however, be the lonely #TeamHilux Rally-Raid representatives.
Ford will also be out in full force with three Castrol NWM Ford Rally-Raid teams in Ultimate FIA T1+. Last year, Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer (NWM Ford Evo Plus) had to settle for second place at this event with a mere 60 seconds separating them from the winners after an extremely tough battle and the team have a score to settle. Lance Woolridge, deputising for Wors Prinsloo, will be back behind the wheel with André Vermeulen reading him the notes and Danie Ludick and Denzil Williamson will also aim for another good result.
In the Ultimate SA T1+ Class, the entries again show a variety of vehicle manufacturers while a few teams will be on the start line for the first time this season. The 2025 Adventurer Class champions and class winners at the recent GR 1000 Marathon, Johan and Sean van Staden, enjoyed this event last year and will aim for another class victory with their new Red-Lined Revo T1+. The class winners of the season opener, Philip Botha/Andries Mynhardt will be out in a similar vehicle aiming for more of the same while two Dutch teams will also join the fray.
Dave and Tessa Klaassen (DKR Evo GTR) are no strangers to the SARRC and competed in this event last year while a visit to the Garden Route will be a new adventure for their team-mates, Herman Jasper/Markus Laan (DKR Evo 8).
The German driver, Jurgen Schröder and Rikus Fourie will be in Schröder’s trusty WCT VW Amarok while Hennie de Klerk/Carl Swanepoel (Toyota Hilux) will hope for better luck than their recent experiences at the marathon event.
The battle will continue in the Adventurer Class where Peet Victor/Van Zyl Jonck (VAPS HCV Rally-Raid Red-Lined VK50) will aim for a third class victory at their first outing in the southern Cape. Nielen Marx/Rikus Hattingh will be out in a similar vehicle while the Ford team of Tokkie Ferreira/Nardus Janse van Rensburg will aim for maximum points.
The defending Challenger Class champion, the young Dutch driver, Henk Klaassen, and lady navigator, Sasha Siripanyavuthi (DaklaPack Rallysport Taurus T3 Max) who has been reading him the notes at a few international races, will be joining in the fun. Klaassen finished in the overall top 10 last year in the Upper Langkloof and will be looking for another good result.
Geoff Minnitt and Leander Pienaar (Hydro Power Equipment Can-Am Maverick R) finished strong at the recent Stella event and will be in action in the SSV Class while former national champions, Werner and his son, Ian Mostert (Can-Am Maverick-R XRS) have also entered this event.
The Century Outeniqua 400 starts at 09:30 on Friday morning at Louvain Guest Farm with a 33 kilometre qualifying race that will determine the starting order for Stage One (91 kilometres) that commences at 13:00.
On Saturday, the action will start at 08:30 at Louvain when teams take on Stages Two followed by Three, both consisting of approximately 177 kilometres that will take competitors over some of the same racing sections as the 2025 event. Race Headquarters as well as the Designated Service Point (DSP) will be situated at Louvain Guest Farm, just off the N9 halfway between George and Uniondale from where the race can be followed with various spectacular vantage points along the route. Spectators are welcome to rub shoulders with the competitors at the DSP and enjoy tasty refreshments. The podium ceremonies will also take place here with the spectacular mountains as backdrop.
Eight Eastern Cape Off-road Club Championship competitors will join in the excitement and add a local flavour to the racing action with the event forming two rounds of the Eastern Cape Off-road Club Championship.
Click here to view the entry list
Published by: Charmaine Fortune
Photography by: Dave Ledbitter
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