Latest news with #GarethWoolridge
The Citizen
16-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Evo Plus Ford Ranger out to challenge Gazoo Racing Toyota Hilux
All systems go for improved racing bakkie at South African Safari Rally based at Sun City. The battle between the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux goes beyond showroom floors and the roads of South Africa. The two marques also go head-to-head in serious competition off the road in global rally-raid events. Using almost 30 years of competition and design experience in the rally-raid world, coupled with cutting-edge technology and a fresh new look, Neil Woolridge Motorsport (NWM) introduced its new NWM Evo Plus Ford Ranger to the market, for sale and rental worldwide. Two NWM Evo Plus Ford Rangers will debut at the third round of the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC), the South African Safari Rally, which will take place in NWM's home country and backyard from 18 to 24 May 2025. Brazilian Marcos Baumgart, who makes a return to the NWM paddock after spending some years driving a mix of the Toyota and Prodrive Hunter T1+ vehicles, drives the first car. ALSO READ: Wraps come off Ford's 2025 Rally Raid Series challenger Woolridge pilots second car 2023 South African Rally-Raid champion Gareth Woolridge pilots the second vehicle. Team partners and vehicle livery for this event will be launched in the week leading up to the event, which will be based at the Sun City Resort in the North-West Province. In rally-raid, longevity of performance is key. NWM has invested heavily into ensuring the maximum performance from the all-new design. All this while functionality, reliability and affordability remain top considerations on the Ford Ranger. 'Two major points we identified for improvement on our current NWM Ford Ranger was firstly our suspension geometry from a performance point of view. And secondly our differentials from a reliability point of view', said Neil Woolridge, NWM director. 'In this, we took a step back to analyse exactly where we want to improve, what type of car we want to offer to the market, and how we can ensure the Ford Ranger keeps winning races and championships around the world. ALSO READ: The workings of a Rally-Raid team: Inside Ford-backed NWM Big changes under the skin 'While the NWM Evo Plus Ford Ranger carries over a lot of the race-proven technology and components from its predecessor, it does boast a completely new chassis. From the outside, other than the widened and redesigned side sills, the everyday fan won't notice much of a difference with the EVO Plus Ford Ranger at first glance, but under that carbon skin, it is all changed,' Woolridge explains. 'We have done just over 2 000km of testing and development thus far and acknowledge we may not have the ultimate set up for every terrain, but we have a vehicle that will take anything you throw at it,' adds Gareth Woolridge, NWM's technical head. The tried and tested Ford 3.5-litre V6 EcoBoost twin-turbocharged petrol engine carries over into the NWM Evo Plus Ford Ranger. Along with the proven SADEV SC924 Evo gearbox, the pairing moves back a further 150mm within the newly designed chassis. This allows for an even better centre of gravity and a near-perfect weight distribution within the car. Rally-ready Ford Ranger The NWM Ford Ranger can also use a Ford 5.0-litre V8 Coyote naturally-aspirated engine. It is best suited for customers who prefer the ease of maintenance of the simpler powertrain system. As well as those looking to run the vehicle in domestic championships. 'We can proudly offer a top-level vehicle that will be competitive anywhere in the world. It is made with the best-quality products in the world. At a far more affordable price than our competitors,' says Neil Woolridge. 'These days, with motorsport getting more and more expensive, we really set out to make sure that our car has the highest level of build quality, reliability and performance for the driver that wants to win races or just go out and have fun. Yet the NWM Evo Plus Ford Ranger is still available at a price that our competitors producing rally-raid cars in other countries simply cannot match, and that's a big feather in our cap.'
The Citizen
25-04-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Wraps come off of Ford's 2025 Rally Raid Series challenger
A total of three vehicles will be fielded come the newly scheduled season opener on 27 and 28 June. Return of sponsor Castrol has seen the NWM-made Ranger adopting a retro livery for 2025. Images: Charl Bosch Ford Motor Company Southern Africa has resumed its almost three decade long partnership with Neil Woolridge Motorsport (NWM) with the unveiling of its latest Ranger ahead of its this year's South African Rally Raid series. Supposed to have started in March with the Vryheid 400 in KwaZulu-Natal, an event called off due to persistent bad weather, the prolonged delay to the season opener, now set to be round two at Thabazimbi at the end of June, has netted the NWM team additional days testing to be worry-free before the 2025 season kicks-off. New looks Debuting a retro Castrol livery as part of its renewed sponsorship with the lubricant brand after last year competing with Shell backing, the officially titled Castrol NWM Ford team will race three vehicles, two in the premier FIA T1+ Ultimate class, and one in the second-tier T1+ Ultimate division that conforms to South African and not FIA specifications. ALSO READ: The workings of a Rally-Raid team: Inside Ford-backed NWM Shown at the Blue Oval's Technical Training Centre outside its Silverton factory in Pretoria on Thursday (24 April), the reveal involved the latter class vehicle that mainly differs from the FIA specification Ranger by using a different engine management system. New faces In effect, this makes local models ineligible for the competing in the Dakar Rally, with the opposite being applicable to the pair of FIA T1+ models which will again once be piloted this year by former champions Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer, and multiple Brazilian cross country series champions, Marcos Baumgart and Kleber Cincea. New to the NWM stable though are Wors Prinsloo and co-driver Andre Vermeulen, who will drive the local specification Ranger T1+. 'Motorsport is a process of continuous evolution, and we have taken the lessons from last year and improved the package from front to back. 'The team has done a lot of work during the off-season to refine and enhance the cars, making them more robust and more capable,' team owner and multiple off-road champion, Neil Woolridge, said. Ready for battle As before, both FIA and local spec Ranger T1+ will derive motivation from the 3.5-litre twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 engine, mated to a Sadev-sourced six-speed sequential gearbox. Build and developed at NWM's workshop in Pietermaritzburg, the three-car team will again face-off against arch rivals, Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa, and the semi-works supported Hilux Rally Raid outfit come the season opener on 27 and 28 June. 'We are confident that the team will be in a position to fight for race wins and the championship once again this year,' Woolridge concluded. As with previous models, the T1+ is only made in left-hand-drive as a way of selling it to other markets. Aside from its sponsorship with Castrol, who has been a NWM backer for years until the short-lived deal inking with Shell last year, the 2025 season will also see bp come on-board as fuel supplier. Associate sponsors include Vedacit, Ford Credit, Mastercraft, Sparco, Brembo, NTN, Veldskoen and Tiger Wheel & Tyre. Revised calendar With it being unknown as to whether Vryheid 400 will be rescheduled for later in the year, the rest of the Rally Raid calendar for 2025 is as follows; Rd 2: Thabazimbi – 27/28 June Rd 3 and 4: Parys – 15/16 August Rd 5: Louvain Farm – 19/20 September Rd 6: Legends Adventure Farm – 3/4 October Rd 7: Sun City – 8/9 November NOW READ: Stranglehold broken as Ford takes 2023 Rally-Raid title
