Stage 3: No let up for Toyota Gazoo Racing on South African Safari
With two stages left, the factory supported pair of GR Hilux EVOs completed the third stage with no defects.
Toyota Gazoo Racing kept up the pace on another difficult stage of the inaugural South African Safari Rally. Picture: Toyota Gazoo Racing
Stage 3 of the South African Safari Rally saw the marathon stage come to a close, as crews returned to rally headquarters at Sun City following two days of intense action without technical assistance.
For Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa, the day presented another demanding test of navigation and endurance.
Another tough stage
The stage covered 518 km, with a 246 km over competitive racing, preceded by a nine kilometre liaison, and a 263 km road section.
ALSO READ: Toyota Gazoo Racing hits back as Safari with double stage podium
Conditions on the route were as tricky, featuring vast grasslands, soft sand, rocky ridges, and an absence of clearly defined tracks in some instances.
For the crews tasked with opening the road, the difficulty was compounded by the low morning sun and limited reference points in the open veld.
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Guy Botterill and Dennis Murphy were first into the stage after winning the previous leg. Despite the navigational burden of opening the route, the pair kept things tidy and finished with a clean run.
'Today was always going to be tough,' said Botterill. 'At the driver briefing last night we were warned that the navigation would be even harder than yesterday, and it definitely was.
'I think we did a fantastic job. Although our times don't show it, I actually think today's drive was better than yesterday's. We drove close to 100 kilometres with no road at all – very, very tricky to navigate. Dennis did a great job, no punctures, and we kept it all clean and tidy'.
They finished the stage in 18th place, 10 min 10sec off the fastest time. Overall, the #211 GR Hilux EVO maintains 15th place, 20 min 25 sec off the rally lead.
Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet also faced a stern test. Having started second on the road, the young crew struggled with fatigue following a freezing night in the bivouac and found the terrain particularly taxing.
'Today wasn't the best of days,' said Variawa. 'I think I got a bit sick after the cold night at Marathon camp. We had a rough day, picked up a puncture, got lost a bit. We were overtaking and being overtaken by the same car a few times. But we're still in the race and holding on'.
Despite this, the #212 GR Hilux EVO crossed the line 22nd on the stage, 15 min 04 sec down. The crew now sit 14th in the general classification, 18 min 06 sec off the overall lead.
Two stages left
As it stands after three stages, Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa remains focused on consolidating their position, while continuing to climb the leaderboard.
ALSO READ: Stage 1: South African Safari starts rocky for Toyota Gazoo Racing
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