Vryheid is set for a weekend of roaring engines, dust and high-speed action when the VAPS HCV Vryheid 400 takes over the Vryheid Airfield on October 9 and 10.

The fourth and penultimate round of the 2026 South African Rally-Raid Championship (SARRC) comes with plenty at stake, including crucial championship points and the chance for four teams to compete for a free ticket to the 2027 Dakar Rally through the Road to Dakar Challenge.

The challenge, run by the organisers of the Dakar Rally, has been incorporated into the Vryheid event and adds another layer of excitement to an already tight championship.

Local favourites chase another Vryheid victory

Among the teams chasing victory will be local KZN favourites Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer, who won last year’s Vryheid 400 in their Castrol NWM Ford Rally Raid Evo Plus.

The pair remain in the title fight, making a home victory particularly important as the championship heads towards its final round.

They will face stiff competition from Toyota Gazoo Racing teams Guy Botterill/Henry Köhne and defending champions Saood Variawa/Charan Moore.

Botterill and Köhne have won two of the three races held so far this season and will be chasing a hat-trick in Vryheid.

Variawa and Moore won the opening race of the season but have since endured two difficult outings and will be looking to get their title challenge back on track.

Tight battle in Ultimate SA T1+ class

The battle in the Ultimate SA T1+ class is also finely poised. Johan van Staden and his son, Sean, lead the class in their Red-Lined Revo T1+, but are only two points ahead of Philip Botha and Andries Mynhardt.

The VAPS HCV Rally-Raid Team of Abrie and Iaan Olivier will also be looking for a strong result, with a chance to move into the top three in the class standings.

SARRC newcomers Mike Lawlor and his son Luke will make their first appearance in Vryheid, while Danie Ludick/Denzil Williamson will also line up in a Castrol NWM Ford.

Four teams will contest the Road to Dakar Challenge: Lawlor and his son, Ludick/Williamson, Botha/Mynhardt and the Oliviers.

Racing gets underway Friday

The action starts on Friday, October 9, with a 20km qualifying race at 09:30. The results will determine the starting order for the first stage.

Stage One covers 70km, with the leading team scheduled to leave Vryheid Airfield at 13:00.

Saturday’s racing starts at 08:30, with competitors tackling a 180km racing section before returning to the Designated Service Point for a compulsory 30-minute service.

They will then head out for the third and final stage.

Vryheid Airfield at the heart of the action

Vryheid Airfield will serve as the Start/Finish area, Designated Service Point and Race Headquarters, with the podium ceremony also taking place at the airfield.

Spectators can follow the race through the RallySafe App, while various vantage points along the route will offer opportunities to watch the action.

With the championship still wide open, a home victory on the cards and a possible ticket to Dakar up for grabs, the Vryheid 400 is set to deliver a big weekend of rally-raid racing.

The news provided to you in this link comes to you from the editorial staff of the Vryheid Herald, a sold newspaper distributed in the Vryheid area.