Outeniqua 400: new challenging Rally-Raid route tests championship leaders
The Outeniqua 400 is a new South African Rally-Raid Championship event where the two GR Hilux IMT EVOs will be looking to dominate.
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The hills around the Langkloof Valley of the Western Cape will come alive this weekend with the sound of the South African Rally-Raid Championship (SARRC) cars as the series reaches the halfway mark.
New route
The Outeniqua 400 based at Louvain Guest Farm near Uniondale is a new addition to the calendar and follows a route through the Kammanassie, Kouga and Outeniqua mountain ranges.
With the championship finely poised, Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa (TGRSA) arrives in the Garden Route in a strong position.
Saood Variawa and French co-driver Francois Cazalet lead the overall standings by 15 points, while teammates Guy Botterill and Oriol Mena lie in third place, just three points adrift of second. Both crews will contest the event in the latest evolution of the GR Hilux IMT EVO.
Unique terrain
Route director Evan Hutchison has promised competitors “a unique variation of terrain” including fast, open lowlands, rugged mountain passes, river crossings, historic ox-wagon trails dating back to the 1700s, and challenging game farm-style tracks.
Much of the course has been graded to accommodate the wide-track Ultimate T1+ cars with a mix of surfaces ranging from gravel to grass, rock and sand, and is expected to test crews to the limit.
The Outeniqua 400 will be one of the most scenic and technically varied races in the series. The 38-kilometre Falken Wild Peak Prologue will open proceedings on Friday morning, followed by Stage One (84km) later in the day.
Saturday sees the crews take on two loops of 178 kilometres each, bringing the total competitive distance to nearly 480 km.
One goal
TGRSA has only one goal, and that is to consolidate its advantage in the championship while maximising points on an all-new route.
For Variawa and Cazalet, consistency and a clean run will strengthen their grip on the standings, while Botterill and Mena will be targeting a good result to boost their title ambitions.
Spectators will be able to follow the action from designated vantage points along the route, while live tracking will be available through the free RallySafe App on iOS and Android.