Sugarbelt 400 loading as Rally-Raid series round 2 gets closer

The South African Rally-Raid Championship contenders will spend a dirty weekend in the Eston and Mid-Illovo areas of KwaZulu-Natal this coming Friday and Saturday.

The occasion will be the Sugarbelt 400, round two of the 2023 title chase, through sugarcane fields and plantations.

The event, run around the Beaumont Eston Farmers’ Club for the last three decades, will see a full entry list, topped by the Toyota Gazoo Racing DKR Hilux T1+ bakkies of Henk Lategan/Brett Cummings, Giniel de Villiers/Dennis Murphy and Guy Botterill/Simon Vacy-Lyle.

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Their closest contenders should include the NWM Ford Castrol Ranger T1+ teams of Gareth Woolridge/Boyd Dreyer, Lance Woolridge/Kenny Gilbert and Wors Prinsloo/André Vermeulen.

Also flying the Toyota flag will be the works supported #TeamHilux entries of Johan/ Werner Horn and Gary Bertholdt/Henry Köhne.

Others to watch in the top class will be teams like Chris Visser/Albertus Venter (Red-Lined REVO T1+), Brian Baragwanath/Leonard Cremer (Century Racing CR6), Lance Trethewey/ Adriaan Roets (King Price Xtreme CR6) and Mathieu Serradori/Loic Minaudier (Red-Lined REVO T1+).

Fighting for podiums in the FIA T1 class will be Red-Lined REVO crews Johan de Bruyn/Gerhard Schutte and Nic Pienaar/Carl Swanepoel, plus defending champions Eben Basson/Leander Pienaar and their Toyota #TeamHilux teammates, Fouché/Bertus Blignaut.

In Class T current points leaders, Hendrik and Heinrich Du Plessis (Ford Ranger), will take on brothers Nico and Juandré Nienaber (Renault Duster), plus Schalk Burger/Henk Janse van Vuuren (King Price Volkswagen Amarok).

Topping the Special Vehicle category will be defending champions, Tim Howes/Gary Campbell (Tim Drew Property BAT Spec 4), Eugene Bierman/Pieter Visser (BAT Spec 2), Trace Price Moor/Shaun Braithwaite (BAT Venom) and the Makenete brothers, Keith and Andrew (BAT).

The crew to beat in Class G must be Geoff Minnitt/Gerhard Snyman (Hydro Power Can-Am Maverick), with opposition set to come from Theo Erasmus/Edward Odendaal (Can-Am Maverick), Ian/Werner Mostert (Moto-Netix Can-Am Maverick), Glen Theron/Craig Galvin (Can-Am), Ewald van Rensburg/Johan Scheepers (Can-Am) and Francois/ Neil de Wit (Can-Am).

The action will start on Friday at 12:30 with the 52 km Pirelli Qualifying Race to determine the starting order for Saturday’s race.

The leading 10 teams will then draw their starting positions for the first of two 160 km loops with the 08h00 start at the Beaumont Eston Farmer’s Club.

Teams will stop for a compulsory 30 minute service break at the Designated Service Point after the first two 80 km laps before taking on the second and final racing section.

The Sugarbelt 400 can be followed on the RallySafe App, available as a free download from the Google PlayStore and iStore.

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