Join #TeamHiluxRallyRaid in Malalane this weekend for cross-country rally action

The Rally Raid this weekend promises lots of family fun and racing action. It returns to Malalane after a six-year break. National teams such as Toyota Gazoo Racing, Red-Lined Motorsport Adventure, Ford Performance, Schalk Burger Motorsport, PS Laser, Century Racing and many other teams will participate.

March 22, 2023

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Lowvelders and other supporters will be spoilt with world-class rally action this weekend, March 24 and 25, as Malalane’s streets come alive the week leading up to the South African Rally Raid Championship season opener race at Paradise Creek Lodge.

Rally fans and petrolheads alike will be spoilt for choice at the rally. The world-renowned teams will all be present and competing. The likes of Toyota Gazoo Racing, which includes Giniel de Villiers and Henk Lategan, Century Racing’s Brian Baragwanath and Red-Lined Motorsport Adventure’s Chris Visser will all form part of the formidable line-up. To shake things up, Ford Performance, Red-Lined Motorsport and various other teams will now compete in the T1+ category.

To top this off, Malalane locals Johan and Werner Horn will compete in their T1+ Hilux as part of the #TeamHiluxRallyRaid team, proudly Malalane Toyota and proudly local. Eben Basson, hailing from Komatipoort, who recently completed his first Dakar Rally, will compete in the T1 category. He and his navigator, Leander Pienaar, will need to pull out all the stops in order to defend their 2022 title. Teammates Fouché and Bertus Blignaut from eMalahleni will also compete in their T1 Hilux. This is the brother duo’s second season, and with their no-fear attitude, there is no limit to what they can achieve. The passion, energy and camaraderie in this team is unmatched.

According to Johan Horn Sr, the team worked around the clock to ensure that the route and designated service park (DSP) area were repaired after the recent floods. “Competitors can expect a variety of terrain, including plantations, sugar cane fields, bushveld, rocky, technical sections and long, fast straights. The route preparation took our teams more than eight weeks due to the floods and roads that have not been in service for many years. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the landowners and community for their support, commitment and willingness to assist. Without you, this race would not be possible.

“#TeamHiluxRallyRaid invites the public from near and far to join in the action. Entry to the DSP area at Paradise Creek, where all the teams will set up and the start and finish is situated, is absolutely free. There will be jumping castles for the kids, food stalls and a beer garden with live entertainment by Brian and Anton for the adults. The action will start on Friday from 11:00 when the flag will drop for a 68km qualifying race. The results of the qualifier will determine the starting order for the main race, which consists of two loops of approximately 173km each. The main race will start on Saturday at 08:00 – don’t be late, or you will miss it!” Horn concluded.