All eyes on Parys as SA Rally-Raid Championship double-header brings the heat
The South African Rally-Raid Championship (SARRC) is serving up nearly 800km of full-throttle action in just two days – an ultimate test of speed, skill and endurance that could prove pivotal in the 2025 title chase.
This is one of the most demanding events of the yea. 'Two races in two days is a mental and physical battle,' says SA Rally-Raid CEO Archie Rutherford. 'It's Dakar-style preparation overnight. You have to be quick, but you also have to preserve your car. The time for champions to shine is now.'
A star-studded line-up – from legends to future champions
Among the big names, Giniel de Villiers will once again race for Team Hilux, bringing a wealth of experience and Dakar-winning pedigree. They'll be joined by a crop of rising stars making waves both locally and internationally:
Young guns 20 year old Saood Variawa in the Toyota Gazoo Racing Hilux and 21-year-old Jayden Els, an ex-World Karting Champion now embarking on his first full season with Red-Lined together with rising stars Gareth Woolridge in the Castrol Neil Woolridge Motorsport Ford Rally-Raid Team and Guy Botterill with Toyota Gazoo.
All are Dakar aspirants with notable achievements already under their belts. Woolridge finished 4th in the W2RC at Sun City, while Variawa has won a Dakar stage and Botterill finished 6th overall. Both Variawa and Botterill also took stage wins at the world championship event held in South Africa in May.
'These guys are all vying for the top spot,' says Rutherford. 'In 20 years' time, we could be talking about one of them as a legend in South African motorsport – but for now, they've still got to earn their stripes. This could be the start of creating another legend.'
A motorsport spectacle – and more
Stonehenge River Lodge will once again serve as Race HQ and Designated Service Park (DSP), offering spectacular riverside viewing and easy access for fans. The event is also a major tourism boost for Parys, bringing hundreds of visitors to local restaurants, guest houses, and attractions.
For those wanting the ultimate experience, VIP packages offer gourmet hospitality, prime viewing points, meet-and-greet opportunities with drivers, and even helicopter flips for a bird's-eye view of the action.
Follow all the action on the RallySafe App (free on iStore and Google Play), or on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube at South African Rally-Raid Championship. VIP Package info: [email protected]
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
a day ago
- The Citizen
Toyota Gazoo Racing Hilux must take the fight to Ford Ranger
Crews need to fast and consistent during Rally-Raid double header around Parys. The South African Rally-Raid Championship (SARRC) heads to Parys in the Free State for a season-defining double-header at the Ingco Parys 400 (Round 2) and Ingco Vaal 400 (Round 3) this weekend. The mission for the Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa (TGRSA) team in their GR Hilux IMT EVOs is simple; beat the Ford Ranger. Nothing less than two victories will suffice. Serving up nearly 800km of competitive racing and with two full sets of championship points up for grabs, this is the chance for the crews to stake their claim in the 2025 title fight. With more than 60% of the route entirely new and the action centred around Stonehenge River Lodge on the banks of the Vaal River, the event promises fast, unpredictable terrain and the kind of strategic challenge that could make or break a season. ALSO READ: Evo Plus Ford Ranger out to challenge Gazoo Racing Toyota Hilux Round 1 done and dusted The opening round of the 2025 SARRC championship, the Renault KEC 400 at Bronkhorstspruit, set the tone for an intensely competitive year with both of TGRSA's crews showing strong pace. As the championship moves into back-to-back one-day races, outright speed must be matched by careful planning and consistency to secure maximum points from both events. The Ingco Parys 400 will kick off with the prologue at 8:00am on Friday to determine starting orders. Two competitive stages of approximately 193km each follow, separated by a 30-minute service at the Designated Service Point (DSP) at Stonehenge River Lodge. Flooding brings changes Saturday's Ingco Vaal 400 will follow the same format. The prologue starts at 8:00am before two 208km stages will decide the winners of Round 3. The terrain around Parys includes fast, open sections and technical Free State farm tracks. Flooding earlier in the season meant that the bulk of the route had to changed. This has effectively levelled the playing field for all crews. Both days will demand supreme concentration from drivers and navigators, as well as faultless preparation from their service crews between races. ALSO READ: Toyota Hilux edges Ford Ranger as most popular armoured bakkie Toyota Hilux crews raring to go The Toyota GR Hilux IMT EVO line-up brings experience and enthusiasm for this double-header. Fresh from a podium at the season opener, Saood Variawa and French co-driver Francois Cazalet will be aiming to build on their strong start and keep themselves in the title hunt. Guy Botterill and Spanish co-driver Oriol Mena, who showed front-running pace before mechanical misfortune in Bronkhorstspruit, will be looking to bounce back into contention with a trouble-free run. TGRSA team principal Shameer Variawa says: 'Parys is always a tricky one, but the fact that more than half of the route will be completely new this year makes it even more of a challenge.' 'And an opportunity. With two rounds back-to-back, consistency will be the key, but the pace is also going to be flat out from the first kilometre. We've got a strong, well-balanced team, and I'm confident we can fight at the sharp end both days,' Variawa concludes.
The Citizen
3 days ago
- The Citizen
All eyes on Parys as SA Rally-Raid Championship double-header brings the heat
Parys is about to roar to life this weekend as some of the best rally-raid drivers in the world descend on the Free State for back-to-back national championship races – the INGCO Parys 400 on Friday, August 15, and the INGCO Vaal 400 on Saturday, August 16. The South African Rally-Raid Championship (SARRC) is serving up nearly 800km of full-throttle action in just two days – an ultimate test of speed, skill and endurance that could prove pivotal in the 2025 title chase. This is one of the most demanding events of the yea. 'Two races in two days is a mental and physical battle,' says SA Rally-Raid CEO Archie Rutherford. 'It's Dakar-style preparation overnight. You have to be quick, but you also have to preserve your car. The time for champions to shine is now.' A star-studded line-up – from legends to future champions Among the big names, Giniel de Villiers will once again race for Team Hilux, bringing a wealth of experience and Dakar-winning pedigree. They'll be joined by a crop of rising stars making waves both locally and internationally: Young guns 20 year old Saood Variawa in the Toyota Gazoo Racing Hilux and 21-year-old Jayden Els, an ex-World Karting Champion now embarking on his first full season with Red-Lined together with rising stars Gareth Woolridge in the Castrol Neil Woolridge Motorsport Ford Rally-Raid Team and Guy Botterill with Toyota Gazoo. All are Dakar aspirants with notable achievements already under their belts. Woolridge finished 4th in the W2RC at Sun City, while Variawa has won a Dakar stage and Botterill finished 6th overall. Both Variawa and Botterill also took stage wins at the world championship event held in South Africa in May. 'These guys are all vying for the top spot,' says Rutherford. 'In 20 years' time, we could be talking about one of them as a legend in South African motorsport – but for now, they've still got to earn their stripes. This could be the start of creating another legend.' A motorsport spectacle – and more Stonehenge River Lodge will once again serve as Race HQ and Designated Service Park (DSP), offering spectacular riverside viewing and easy access for fans. The event is also a major tourism boost for Parys, bringing hundreds of visitors to local restaurants, guest houses, and attractions. For those wanting the ultimate experience, VIP packages offer gourmet hospitality, prime viewing points, meet-and-greet opportunities with drivers, and even helicopter flips for a bird's-eye view of the action. Follow all the action on the RallySafe App (free on iStore and Google Play), or on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube at South African Rally-Raid Championship. VIP Package info: [email protected]
IOL News
30-07-2025
- IOL News
Defender D7X-R: Land Rover's continuous innovations ahead of the 2026 Dakar Rally
The Defender D7X-R made its public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, showcasing the competition version that will tackle the 2026 Dakar Rally. Showcased at the recent Goodwood Festival of Speed, it was the public's first glimpse of the competition version of the Defender 110 that will be competing in the newly updated 'Stock' category for production-based vehicles. The Defender D7X-R Dakar programme is going full steam ahead as they prepare for the 2026 Dakar Rally and World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC). New regulations The 2026 edition of the W2RC will implement new regulations that are aimed at making the Stock category significantly more competitive overall, as the FIA and Dakar organisers respond to the increasing capacity and popularity of high-performance 4x4s and SUVs. The new regulations will allow increased performance benefits, allowing Defender to showcase its durability and capability through the harshest terrains. The Defender Dakar D7X-R shares the same D7X aluminium body architecture, transmission and driveline layout as production Defenders and is powered by a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine. Drivers debut Also making their debut at the famous festival were four-time Dakar stage winner Sara Price and the legendary Stéphane Peterhansel, who has won the Dakar Rally 14 times. Both Price and Peterhansel were recently announced as official drivers for Defender, along with Rokas Baciuška. 'I loved being at Goodwood. I drove on the famous hillclimb four times, which was so awesome. And I also drove in the Off-Road Arena, which was super fun. The car felt really good. "We were showing off our prototype car at Goodwood, but it's about to get even more real as our competition Defender will be finished soon and the real testing will begin,' said Price. Peterhansel concurred, saying, 'I'm looking forward to the next few months of preparations ahead of our entry to Dakar. To go back to the roots with a production car, and with Defender, I'm really proud to be part of it. "We will try to write a new chapter of history with Defender at Dakar. It's going to be an adventure and an opportunity to show what a production car can do."
