The South African Rally Raid Championship continued this past weekend with the INGCO Parys/Vaal 400, a double header event consisting of 800km of adrenaline-fueled rally driving split into two rounds over two days. We attended upon invitation by Toyota's Gazoo Racing Team, with drivers/co-drivers Guy Botteril/Orial Mena Valdearcos and Saood Variawa/Francois Cazalet participating in the event. Parys, the small Free State town, was buzzing with activity and excitement from the festivities.
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This round is gruelling and resembles Dakar rally conditions, providing great preparation. Being fast is one thing; preserving the vehicle is another, so a strong strategy is king. Stonehenge River Lodge served as Race HQ, covering the ceremonial start/finish, designated service park, and hospitality area. Toyota Gazoo Racing Team had to compete with stiff competition from Ford-Neil Woolridge Motorsport #TeamHilux Rally Raid, to name a few other teams.
Stage Conditions and Environment
The stages for this round take place on gravel roads situated in farm plots and the banks of the Vaal River. 60% of the route was new. It consists of many high-speed sections that are also technical, gate crossings, and a few elevation changes. Since August concludes the winter season as South Africa transitions into spring, the course conditions were dry, with cool weather during the day and occasional water splashes.
Final Results
Time is the most significant challenger in rally racing, unlike wheel-to-wheel racing. Parys Round 2 Stage 1 saw Variawa/Cazalet in fourth place, while Botteril/Mena Valdearcos came in 12th. Some teething issues were present, such as route challenges and Botteril's vehicle encountering electrical problems, resulting in a loss of power due to a water splash. Once the gents got into their groove, Parys Round 2 Stage 2 saw Botteril/Mena Valdearcos scoring first place and Variawa/Cazalet coming second.
The next day was penultimate as the Toyota Gazoo Racing Team mechanics burned the midnight oil to address issues discovered from Day 1. Vaal Round 3 Stage 1 saw Variawa/Cazalet coming in third and Botteril/Mena Valdearcos coming in 7th. The Vaal final stage saw Variawa/Cazalet taking first place and Botteril/Mena Valdearcos taking third place—podiums for the two Gazoo Racing Team vehicles.
The TGRSA Hilux IMT Evos moved at an incredible pace, making it hard for spectators to keep up.
Standings after Round 3
Position | Race # | Entrant | Driver | Co-Driver | Vehicle | Final Result |
1 | 208 | Toyota Gazoo Racing | Saood Variawa | Francois Cazalet | Toyota Hilux IMT EVO | 05:15:14 |
2 | 277 | Castrol Ford Rally Raid Team | Gareth Woolridge | Boyd Dreyer | NWM EVO PLUS | 05:16:32 |
3 | 201 | Toyota Gazoo Racing | Guy Botterill | Oriol Mena Valdearcos | Toyota Hilux IMT EVO | 05:23:03 |
4 | 241 | Castrol NWM Ford Rally Raid | Wors Prinsloo | Andre Vermeulen | NWM EVO PLUS | 05:23:32 |
5 | 375 | Marko Himmel | Marko Himmel | Francois Schoonbee | Red-Lined Navara Evo | 05:24:02 |
6 | 303 | Gary Bertholdt | Gary Bertholdt | Henry Köhne | Hilux IMT EVO | 05:30:22 |
7 | 217 | Castrol NWM Ford Rally Raid | Marcos Baumgart | Alberto Andreotti Neto | NWM EVO PLUS | 05:36:46 |
8 | 402 | Johan van Staden | Johan van Staden | Sandra Labuscagne | Renault Duster | 05:36:54 |
9 | 334 | Daklapack Rallysport | Vick Versteijnen | Teun Van Dal | Red-Lined Revo T1+ | 05:38:07 |
10 | 333 | Red-Lined Motorsport | Philip Botha | Andries Mynhardt | Red-Lined Revo T1+ | 05:41:21 |
11 | 401 | Johan de Bruyn | Johan de Bruyn | Adriaan Roets | Red-Lined REVO T1 | 05:43:34 |
12 | 700 | Hydro Power Equipment | Geoff Minnitt | Rodney Burke | Can-Am Maverick R XRS | 05:51:09 |
13 | 404 | Red-Lined Motorsport | Vincent Vroninks | Dave Berghmans | Red-Lined VK56 | 05:59:05 |
14 | 634 | Daklapack Rallysport | Henk Klaassen | Gerhard Schutte | Taurus T3Max | 06:00:21 |
15 | 202 | #TeamHilux Rally-Raid | Giniel De Villiers | Dennis Murphy | DKR Hilux T1+ | 06:21:39 |
16 | 239 | #TeamHilux Rally-Raid | Fouche Blignaut | Bertus Blignaut | Toyota DKR Hilux T1+ | 07:21:51 |
17 | 234 | Daklapack Rallysport | Dave Klaassen | Tessa Klaassen | Revo GTR | 15:53:20 |
250 | Red-Lined Motorsport | Jayden Els | Johan Swemmer | Red-Lined REVO T1+ GTR | DNF | |
224 | Jurgen Schörder | Jurgen Schroder | Stuart Gregory | WCT Amarok | DNF | |
371 | King Price Xtreme | Schalk Burger | Armand du Toit | Volkswagen Amarok | DNF | |
305 | Red-Lined Motorsport | Danie Ludick | Denzil Williamson | Red-Lined Revo T1+ | DNF | |
444 | Martin van der Vyver | Martin van der Vyver | Victor Fincham | Ford Ranger | DNF | |
677 | Rikus Hattingh | Nielen Marx | Rikus Hattingh | Ford Ranger | DNF | |
300 | #TeamHilux Rally-Raid | Johan Horn | Werner Horn | Toyota Hilux | EXCLUDED |
How can I follow along?
If you'd like to follow along with the showdown, you can download the RallySafe app available from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for free if you want the results and live timings. If you want to know where and when the next event will be, you can see the GR event calendar here.
Inspired to buy your own GR Hilux? Head on over to AutoTrader and sell your car, too.
