Latest news with #GRHiluxEVOs
IOL News
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- IOL News
Toyota Gazoo Racing SA's GR Hilux EVOs shine at the 2025 South African Safari Rally
Guy Botterill and Dennis Murphy and Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet learnt valuable lessons at the 2025 South African Safari Rally. Image: Supplied It was lessons well learnt as the two Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa (TGRSA) GR Hilux EVOs wrapped up the 2025 South African Safari Rally held around the Sun City Resort in the North West Province at the weekend. The event, sponsored by Toyota Gazoo Racing, was the third round of the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC). Wrapping up six days (including the Prologue) of demanding competition, Guy Botterill and Dennis Murphy and Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet concluded the race with determined performances on the final 111-kilometre special stage around Sun City, bringing home valuable World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) points in the process. Pushing hard The stage covered 222 kilometres, featuring two liaison sections split by a high-speed special run through a mix of black sand, soft gravel, rocky outcrops, and dry savannah. Variawa and Cazalet were first out of the gates, following their Stage four win. Opening the route proved to be a challenge, as expected, and they struggled to maintain their winning pace. 'I gave it everything,' said Variawa. 'I pushed at yesterday's winning pace, but opening the road makes it incredibly difficult. There's just no line to follow, and by the time a few cars are through, the route changes completely. We saw corners become straights just a few cars back.' The young duo finished 18th on Stage five, 7min 31sec behind the leader. Despite the time loss, their pace across the week, including a stage win, underscored their progress and potential at the world level. 'All in all, it was an amazing event,' Variawa added. 'The scenery, the fans, the stages, everything was fantastic. We were fighting with the world's best, and it's clear we're moving in the right direction.' The Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa teams now focus on the upcoming rally in Portugal. Image: Supplied Clean run Teammates Botterill and Murphy were also going hell for leather. After rebounding strongly earlier in the week, they produced another clean run to finish 12th on the final stage, despite facing the complexities of a less-than-ideal road position. 'We had a really successful weekend overall,' said Botterill. 'We managed two 1-2 stage finishes as a team, which was fantastic. The pace is definitely there, we just need to cut out the small mistakes and learn how to better manage the road order strategy in these world-level events. 'Nobody won a stage starting in the top 10 this week. You really want to be starting fifth or sixth every day, but it's hard to get that balance right. The guys who've been doing this for a while know how to play the game. We're learning fast, and we'll come back stronger.' Both TGRSA GR Hilux EVOs completed the event without major mechanical issues. Good showing The team's consistency saw Variawa finish 12th overall, with Botterill just behind in 13th, both gaining valuable experience and contributing to Toyota's Manufacturers' Championship lead. From a W2RC standpoint, Toyota leads the Manufacturers' standings on 311 points, ahead of The Dacia Sandriders (219) and Ford M-Sport (190). In the Drivers' classification, Variawa currently lying 12th edges closer to the top ten, while Botterill in 21st place, adds valuable points to his international campaign. The South African pair of Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings (Toyota GR Hilux EVO) racing for Toyota Gazoo Europe, won the race overall. With the South African round of the W2RC now complete, the focus shifts to the next round in Portugal, where both TGRSA crews will look to build on the experience and pace shown on home soil.
The Citizen
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
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. Reactions 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
IOL News
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- IOL News
Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa excels in the second stage of the 2025 South African Safari Rally
As per Marathon Stage regulations, no external technical support is allowed overnight, requiring crews to service and prepare their vehicles on their own. The event, sponsored by Toyota Gazoo Racing, is the third round of the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC). After the struggles of the first stage on Tuesday, yesterday saw a much improved Marathon second stage for the Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa team in their GR Hilux EVOs at the 2025 South African Safari Rally around Sun City in the North West Province. Stage win Local squads Guy Botterill and Dennis Murphy claimed a commanding stage win, while teammates Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet followed closely behind in second place. The stage covered 620 kilometres, including a 212 kilometre liaison, a 356 kilometre special stage, and a final 55 kilometre road section into the Marathon bivouac near the town of Stella. As per Marathon Stage regulations, no external technical support is allowed overnight, requiring crews to service and prepare their vehicles on their own ahead of today's Stage three. Stage conditions varied, with fast open grassland sections with deep ruts, patches of sand, turf, and short stretches of tarmac. The lack of defined tracks in many areas made for difficult navigation, particularly in the second half of the route, which cut through long grass and densely vegetated areas. A good day Botterill and Murphy made the most of their favourable road position to set a time of 3hr 12min 36sec, winning the stage by 55 seconds. 'Today was a great day,' said Botterill. 'We benefited a lot from starting further down, but Dennis was great on the notes, and we managed to put it all together. It was really cool, super fast, high-speed stuff. Navigation was tricky, so I think the guys in front suffered a lot, but that was our story yesterday. 'We capitalised on our position today, pushed really hard, and there were no issues with the car, so a little bit of cleaning up and we'll be good to go.' Just behind them, Variawa and Cazalet posted their best stage result of the event, finishing second on the day. 'It was a really good day,' said Variawa.
