Latest news with #SaoodVariawa
The Citizen
24-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Toyota Gazoo Racing ends Safari Rally fourth stage on a high
With one stage left, the factory entered GR Hilux EVO place 12th and 13th in the overall standings. Teenager Saood Variawa and French co-driver Francois Cazalet on their way to winning stage four of the South African Safari Rally. Picture: Toyota Gazoo Racing Stage 4 of the South African Safari Rally delivered a day of redemption and reward for Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa, with Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet claiming a commanding stage win and teammates Guy Botterill and Dennis Murphy (#211) claiming the final step on the podium. Longest stage done The 693 km route, the longest of the rally, included a 470 km road section and a 224 km competitive stage around the greater Sun City region. The looped route took competitors across a mix of fast-flowing bushveld roads, rocky sections, sandy tracks and open savannah. Despite not feeling 100%, teenager Variawa produced a masterful drive to win his first stage of this year's event. 'We actually had a malfunction with the torque meter, which caused us to lose a lot of power. So, in the last 100 km we pushed the car to the limit, knowing we didn't have full power. ALSO READ: Stage 3: No let up for Toyota Gazoo Racing on South African Safari 'We managed to hold the lead and I'm super happy – with the team, the car, myself, my navigator – everything played out well today,' said Variawa. Variawa's time of two hours 09 min 05 sec was enough to secure the stage win by 58 seconds over the X-Raid Mini of Guillaume De Mévius and Xavier Panseri. For Botterill and Murphy in the second Toyota GR Hilux EVO, stage four brought a further confidence boost. 'We made a few mistakes early on which cost us time, but in the second half of the stage, Dennis and I were absolutely flat-out trying to make up ground. We had no idea where we stood, but I knew we were pushing. To finish third, considering where we were this morning, I'm really pleased.' One stage left Their performance saw them cross the line one min 19 sec behind their Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa teammates. While the individual stage results were cause for celebration, the overall classification remains tightly packed. Variawa and Cazalet moved up to 12th overall, 14 min 23sec behind the leaders. Botterill and Murphy improved to 13th, 18 min 01 sec adrift. With one stage remaining, the rally remains wide open for gains, and potentially, heartbreak, as competitors prepare for the final test: stage 5, a 222 km loop around Sun City featuring a 111 km special stage broken into two liaison sections. ALSO READ: Toyota Gazoo Racing hits back as Safari with double stage podium
The Citizen
18-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Toyota Gazoo Racing Hilux pair ready for Mzansi Safari Rally
Saood Variawa and Guy Botterill geared up for World Rally-Raid Championship race. Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa (TGRSA) is returning to international competition as the team takes on Round 3 of the 2025 World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) in the South African Safari Rally which will be based in and around Sun City. This event not only marks the first African round of the 2025 W2RC season, but it is also the first ever W2RC round to take place in Southern Africa. The Citizen Motoring will be right there in the thick of the action when the chequered flag comes down on Saturday. TGRSA fields two locally-prepared GR Toyota Hilux EVOs, driven by Saood Variawa and Guy Botterill, respectively. Variawa, partnered by French navigator Francois Cazalet, currently sits 14th in the W2RC drivers' championship with 17 points. Botterill, who raced in this year's Dakar Rally, as well as the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, will be partnered by Dennis Murphy. ALSO READ: Evo Plus Ford Ranger out to challenge Gazoo Racing Toyota Hilux Toyota Hilux gets special livery 'We decided to pay homage to the typical South African safari vehicle, with the livery of our cars for this race,' explains TGRSA team principal, Shameer Variawa. 'When you go to the bush, you will find beige-coloured game viewers or ranger support vehicles more often than not. Given that we will be racing in that same terrain this coming week, we felt that it was apt to reflect the African heritage in our liveries. Remember, this is not a bakkie – it's a Hilux!' In terms of refinements to the vehicle, Variawa says that the GR Toyota Hilux EVO will sport several upgraded components, as well as a refined suspension setup for the race. 'This is terrain that we are very familiar with, and we know how to extract the most from our cars here on home ground.' Five full stages The rally begins with a 9km Prologue stage on Monday which will determine the starting order for Stage 1. The event then unfolds over five competitive stages, totalling more than 1 200km of timed specials and covering over 2 600km in total. Each day presents a fresh test for competitors, both in terms of speed and navigation. The terrain across the event will include fast gravel roads, rocky outcrops, soft sand, and dry riverbeds -demanding a versatile setup and a strategic mindset. Sections around Thabazimbi, Mafikeng, and Stella will present both high-speed opportunities and navigation traps, while the closing stages will wind back into the rugged bushveld near Sun City. ALSO READ: Toyota Hilux Legend 55 arriving in July – what we know so far Committed to rally-raid Weather forecasts indicate clear skies and mild autumn conditions, with temperatures expected to hover in the mid-20 degrees during the day. These dry conditions should favour high-speed racing, though dust could be a factor, particularly for crews starting deeper in the field. 'To us, partnering with the organisers to bring the South African Safari Rally to life, is an opportunity to underscore our commitment to rally-raid racing, to motorsport as a whole, but also to the many South African Toyota Hilux fans,' says Glenn Crompton, senior vice-president of marketing for Toyota South Africa Motors. 'Beyond our sponsorship of the event, we are looking forward to seeing our newly liveried GR Toyota Hilux EVOs take on the global competition on home soil and we can't wait to see them in action.'
News24
17-05-2025
- Automotive
- News24
Toyota Gazoo Racing unveils striking Sand Beige livery ahead of SA Safari Rally
Toyota Gazoo Racing will sport a striking Sand Beige livery for the upcoming Safari Rally. The livery pays tribute to the hue that adorns Cruisers and Hiluxes of passionate Toyota owners. Toyota Gazoo Racing has opened an impressive new motorsport hub in Kyalami, Gauteng. Paint colours like Rosso Corsa, British Racing Green and Bleu de France are synonymous with motorsport, having adorned legendary racing cars through the ages. Now, Sand Beige can be added to that list. The popular light brown colour that adorns a large chunk of the Toyota Land Cruiser 70s sold in South Africa has been employed on the Toyota Gazoo Racing Hilux Ultimate T1+ for the upcoming South African Safari Rally that kicks off near Sun City on Sunday, 18 May. The team has historically run black or white cars along with the red and white Toyota Gazoo Racing logos but felt a change was necessary for the first home round of the W2RC world championship. Also, finding a home on the rear quarter panel is the now iconic 'It's not a bakkie, it's a Hilux' phrase. The Sand Beige colour is an iconic Toyota hue and is well-loved by Cruiser owners operating in the South African farming and overlanding community. It makes it a great fit for the pair of racing bakkies at their home round of the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) in front of their passionate fans. The two cars run by Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa will be piloted by Saood Variawa, Francois Cazalet, Guy Botterill, and navigator Dennis Murphy. Following their second-place finish at this year's Dakar Rally, Henk Lategan and co-driver Brett Cummings have made the step up to the European-based Toyota Gazoo Racing for the remainder of the W2RC season. They will be behind the wheel of a similar Hilux Ultimate T1+ campaigned by that team. Similarly, veteran Toyota driver Giniel de Villiers will be in contention aboard a Hilux campaigned by the privateer outfit Team Hilux Rally Raid. Toyota Gazoo Racing opens new facility The new livery was showcased to the media ahead of the event at the all-new Toyota Gazoo Racing Motorsport Hub, located in Kyalami, Gauteng. The facility sets a new benchmark for South African and international motorsport facilities. Construction on the 12 500 m² facility began in October 2024 to create a world-class hub dedicated to high-performance motorsport engineering, manufacturing, and development. The Rally-Raid Hub will serve as the new home of TGRSA, housing the team's race vehicles and technical departments under one expansive, multi-level roof, with room to grow in future. Designed to meet the increasing demands of international competition and continuous innovation, the facility has been purpose-built to support every aspect of modern rally-raid racing. It includes a dedicated engine room, damper laboratory, in-house dyno, and an extensively upgraded fabrication division. The machine shop has also been significantly enhanced, now featuring a full suite of 3-, 4-, and 5-axis CNC machinery, ensuring precision component production at the highest global standards. The new building dramatically improves capacity, with space to prepare up to 20 race cars, compared to just six at the team's previous base. Every workshop and support area has been designed to optimise efficiency, workflow, and quality control. This includes a state-of-the-art parts store, complete with a custom-built software system to manage inventory and logistics servicing TGRSA and multiple teams worldwide. The team at Kyalami can build ten new Hilux race vehicles per year, but a big motivation behind the upgraded facility was to enable the team to increase their fabrication and parts manufacturing capability to meet the needs of Hilux racing teams worldwide. In the last ten years, the local outfit has built close to 140 racing Hiluxes of various iterations, and a large majority of these cars continue to be raced by teams and privateers worldwide. See the world's top rally raid drivers in action From Sunday, 18 May, to Saturday, 24 May, Sun City and its surroundings will be transformed into a rally-raid central. Fans are invited to witness the magic of international rally-raid racing up close. Spectator points are free and located at each stage, allowing fans to watch top local champions go head-to-head with the world's best. General admission tickets and passes are available now via TicketPro.
The Citizen
08-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
National Extreme Festival treks seaside to Aldo Scribante
South Africa's premier circuit racing series makes its second visit to the coast this year after the season opener in Cape Town in March. Saood Variawa (Gazoo Racing Toyota Corolla) and Michael van Rooyen (SVR Steelworks Toyota Corolla) should be front runners in Saturday's South African Touring Car races. Photograph: Dave Ledbitter. The Aldo Scribante circuit outside Gqeberha will host round three of this year's National Extreme Festival Presented by Coca-Cola this weekend, with six disciplines on four and two wheels taking to the tarmac. Touring Cars Heading up proceedings will be two races for South African Touring Cars. ALSO READ: Kyalami shows its teeth to National and Regional Extreme Festivals Leading the title chase, and the man to beat, should be veteran Michael van Rooyen (SVR Steelworks Toyota Corolla), with his closest challengers being the likes of Jagger Robertson (Sparco Volkswagen Golf GTI), Keegan Campos (Campos Trucking BMW 128ti), Saood Variawa (Gazoo Racing Toyota Corolla) and Julian van der Watt (Chemical Logistics Volkswagen Golf GTI). Also in the running will be Nathi Msimanga (Gazoo Racing Toyota Corolla), Andrew Schofield (Chemical Logistics BMW 128i) and Siyabonga Mankonkwana (Chemical Logistics Toyota Corolla). SupaCup Racing behind the Touring Cars will be the SupaCup brigade. Jonathan Mogotsi (Volkswagen Motorsport SupaPolo) should be a favourite to win the two SupaCup races. Photograph: Dave Ledbitter. They will be led by led by drivers like Tate Bishop (ANGRI Volkswagen SupaPolo), defending champion Jonathan Mogotsi (Volkswagen Motorsport SupaPolo, Charl Visser (Charl Engineering Volkswagen SupaPolo) and Dawie van der Merwe (Toyota Gazoo Racing Supa Starlet). Challenging for top places as well will Andre Bezuidenhout (Weltevreden Volkswagen SupaPolo), Jason Loosemore (Astron Energy Volkswagen SupaPolo), Karah Hill (Kalex Volkswagen SupaPolo) and Dean Venter (Platinum Mile Volkswagen SupaPolo). Polo Cup The Astron Energy Polo GTI Cup races should see Ethan Coetzee (Ethan Racing) and Mohammed Karodia (Fast 5) continue their season-long fight at the front. Ethan Coetzee (Ethan Racing) could spray champagne after Saturday's Astron Energy Polo GTI Cup races. Photograph: Dave Ledbitter. Able and willing to spoil their day should be drivers like lady racer Tyler Robinson (AF Fans), Wayne Masters (Performance Masters), John Kruger (Habot Lubricants) and Derick Smalberger (Sabertek Polo). Expected to also challenge for top places will be Rory Atkinson (Industry Petroleum), Bevan Masters (CPS Warehouse), Mike Barbaglia and Hannes Scheepers (Dainfern Dental). Two-wheels For two-wheeler enthusiasts, the SunBet Kawasaki ZX10 Masters will tackle two races, with defending champion Clinton Seller (King Price Xtreme), certainly the man to beat on top of the points table. He will face off against riders like Graeme van Breda (Stefanutli Stocks), Jayson Lamb (Tyremart EL), Adriaan van Dalen (VAG Automotive Centre ), Pieter Delport (Carlin Alademie) and James Barson (Steelmonkey Clothing). Also in the running will be Johan le Roux (Avidan Trading), Damian Purificati (Amalgum Welding Shop) and David Enticot (Ravenol SA). The Gazoo Racing Cup Driven By Netstar races should deliver spectacular action, with drivers competing in the three separate-scored classes. GR Cup Jason Coetzee will head up the Toyota GR Cup's GR86 class after having won three out of four races so far. He will be challenged by drivers like Kent Swartz, Khanya Ngwennya, Brandon van der Watt and Jordan Moodley The GR Corolla class for select Toyota dealers will see points leader Mario de Sousa being the man beat. Opposition will come from fellow Andries de Villiers, Johan Boonzaaier, Dylan Jones, Riaan de Ru, Werner Venter and Toyota GR Cup Academy instructor, Paul de Vos. Veteran tin-top racer Mario da Sousa should be the pre-event favourite in the Toyota GR Cup Corolla class for select Toyota GR dealers. Photograph: Toyota In the media section, driving the all-new GR Yaris fitted with the eight-speed Direct Automatic Transmission, runaway championship leader Nabil Abdool (SuperSport) will continue his season battle with Kyle Kock (CAR Magazine) and Phuti Mpyane (TimesLive). Fighting out for in the rest of the six car field will be Lawrence Minnie (AutoTrader), The Citizen's Charl Bosch and Willem van de Putte (Independent/IOL). Volkswagen Rookie Cup The Volkswagen Rookie Cup will start Saturday's race day programme with front runners in the identical Polo Vivo GT models to include Giovanni Florotto, Uzair Khan, Mauro Da Luz, Christopher Tait and Luke Hill. When and how much? The full event programme is available on the Extreme Festival Presented by Coca-Cola website. Admission tickets will be available from the Aldo Scribante Raceway entrance gate at R100 per adult, and children under 12 will get in for free. Saturday's full race day will be broadcast live on the Extreme Festival website. ALSO READ: National Extreme Festival opens 2025 up with a show of note
