Known as one of the most popular national rallies on the calendar for competitors and spectators alike, the King Price Insurance Swartland Rally on Friday and Saturday promises to deliver non-stop action the entire weekend in and around Riebeek Kasteel and Malmesbury.

The Citizen reports that with a full field of 39 rally cars on the entry list, the event has attracted the best local and national crews in the country. With two days of racing and over 170km of special stage and 270km of liaison ahead, the rally is going to be a proper test of man and machine.

It is also going to be this writer’s first go at real gravel driving, with the first round of the championship held on tar a month ago. So, to say the nerves are building would be the understatement of the year.

GR Yaris receives performance upgrades

What is also building is the anticipation of being in the car again. Since we last spoke, there has been some exciting development on our Toyota GR Yaris at the Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa workshop.

Making an already fast car even faster, the standard six-speed manual transmission has been yanked out and a pukka close ratio six-speed X-Shift sequential transmission fitted. Dual-stage launch control and lightning-fast gear shifts are in our future.

The road car comes with big, heavy 18-inch wheels. But for national rally, smaller 15-inch wheels are the only homologated size allowed. For the first race, we had a set of mix-and-match road alloys on the car. But for this round, our new Corse Evo lightweight competition wheels have arrived.

Suspension tweaks and bodywork changes

The Mark Sacks dampers have been given a rework for some extra travel that will be required for off-road racing. But doing this has resulted in some tyre rub on the body. So, the wheel arches have been flared while we wait for some proper widebody bits to arrive.

Bottom line is that for the Swartland Rally, we will have a faster, meaner-looking Toyota GR Yaris to handle.

Focus on experience over results

The only real wish I have, though, is for some extra seat time in our Toyota GR Yaris, and a magic wand that would grant me years of rally experience. Neither is materialising due to the reality of the car being developed on the fly, as you would have just read.

But I am quietly confident, with a dash of good luck, as is always needed in motorsport, and the same solid game plan as before.

And that is not to chase titles, but to use the race time to gain valuable experience for the rest of the year. And we will have a good Swartland Rally.

Experienced co-driver adds confidence

Keeping things calm in the cockpit, experienced Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa man Kes Naidoo will once again be calling the shots from the left side of the car. The Swartland Rally is his baby and a place he calls home.

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