Sights set on Dakar 2015

POLOKWANE – The off-road endurance race, the Dakar Rally is regarded as one of the most demanding international sports events. It requires immense preparation and fitness to complete the gruelling 14-day routes covering about 9 300km through Argentina, Bolivia and Chile.

Local quad-bike champion, Brian Baragwanath, who has been honing his skills from the age of 11 years at the Capricorn Racing Club, has set his sights on the Dakar Rally 2015.

Baragwanath, who matriculated at Capricorn High School in 2006 and went on to study mechanical engineering at Tswane University of Technology says he and fellow riders, Ted Barbier and Hannes Saaijman have been planning to enter the 2015 Dakar Rally for the past two years.

According to Baragwanath, the team will be known as Team Rhide South Africa and his father Clive, will be the team’s manager.

He says there are eight crew members in total, with their own support truck from South Africa.

“We have been negotiating with sponsors for the past two years, but we are still looking for a few major corporate sponsors to support us in our quest.

“We are currently looking at an overall budget of approximately R4,5 million to compete in Dakar 2015,” says Baragwanath.

He says the team currently has sponsorship from Yamaha, PEP Suspension and Lonestar Racing, which also sponsor him in the national quad bike off-road championships, which he won in 2011.

Baragwanath will compete in the Dakar Rally on a Yamaha Raptor 700 quad bike.

He says it is the same version he competes in, in the national championships series, but a different set-up will be used for the Dakar Rally.

“The national championships, held over a day, is more of a sprint race, whereas the Dakar Rally is all about endurance.”

Baragwanath wished all motor racing enthusiasts in the city a safe and merry Christmas.