PARYS – Aggressive engines roared, dust clouds rose to the sky, and hearts pounded as the quiet Free State town, Parys, turned into a playground for speed demons on August 15 and 16.
This comes after petrolheads flocked to witness the country’s best drivers battle it out Dakar-style at the INGCO Parys/Vaal 400 Rallyraid.
The 800km double-header of pure grit, guts, and gear-shredding action was the order of the day as dozens gathered at spectator points inside the dusty ranches.
With Stonehenge River Lodge serving as the nerve centre, hosting the start, finish, service park, and all the fanfare, spectators were treated to a highoctane festival of horsepower and heroics.
But when the dust settled, it was Toyota Gazoo Racing who stamped their dominance, fending off a hungry pack led by Ford-Neil Woolridge Motorsport.
For Toyota Gazoo, it was the perfect showcase of their Dakar DNA, a rehearsal for the world stage, played out on Parys’ unforgiving dirt tracks.
While the results from Round 2 of the season remain under review, the team bagged a double-podium in Round 3, including a maiden victory for Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet.
Speaking on the sidelines, Saood Variawa said, “It was tough, but we pushed beyond what we normally do. I knew I needed to catch up despite having a puncture during the race. We are happy that the team won.”
Cazalet also weighed in on the win, saying, “We had an electrical problem and we had to consolidate and bring the win home. We are happy to be on the podium.”
In a statement, Toyota Gazoo team principal Shameer Variawa said, “It was a tough weekend for sure. Tactically, our crews had to preserve the cars for Round 3, but they not only managed to finish strongly on Round 2, they also secured a double podium the very next day.
For the team, there was a huge amount of pressure to ensure the cars were fully prepared for both days, but this is familiar territory to us thanks to our participation in the Dakar Rally. In the end, we are ecstatic with the confirmed results,” he said.
