Reigning Champions Edge Out Rivals in Thrilling SARR Season Opener
The 2026 South African Rally-Raid Championship (SARR) kicked off in spectacular fashion at the INGCO Parys 400. Held over two action-packed days on June 19 and 20, the event saw competitors battle it out across more than 400 kilometers of unforgiving Free State terrain. Mud, dust, fast open sections, and a barrage of treacherous rocks tested the teams to their absolute limits, culminating in an incredibly tight race where final podium positions were decided by mere seconds.
T1+ Ultimate Battle: Variawa and Moore Triumph
Defending South African Rally-Raid Champion Saood Variawa, alongside stand-in navigator Charan Moore, secured the first victory of the season for Toyota Gazoo Racing. Behind the wheel of their Toyota Hilux IMT EVO, the duo delivered a calculated performance to dodge hazards and take the Ultimate FIA T1+ Class win with a total time of 05:56:31.
The victory did not come easily. Variawa and Moore started Saturday's stages from second place, closely chasing Friday's qualifying leaders, Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer (Castrol NWM Ford Rally-Raid Evo Plus). Woolridge and Dreyer put up a fierce fight despite the disadvantage of opening the road, ultimately finishing in second place, just 29 seconds behind the winners.
The race for the remaining top spots was blisteringly close:
3rd Place: Giniel de Villiers and Dennis Murphy (#ToyotaHilux) clinched the final podium spot (05:57:01), finishing a solitary second behind the Ford team.
4th Place: Last year's event winners, Guy Botterill and Oriol Mena Valdearcos (Toyota Gazoo Racing), crossed the line just one second later to take fourth.
5th Place: German driver Daniel Schröder and Juan Möhr delivered a steady performance in their PS Laser WCT VW Amarok (06:06:57).
Further down the order, Jayden Els and Johann Swemmer (Century Factory Racing) staged an impressive comeback. Despite a mechanical issue on Friday that relegated them to 17th on the starting grid, and enduring late-race technical difficulties, they fought back to finish a commendable sixth.
Drama and Determination Across the Classes
The Ultimate SA T1+ category mirrored the intensity of the premier class. Lood du Preez and Adriaan Roets (Farmer’s Meat CR6) executed a stunning drive, moving up 10 places from their overnight position to claim the class victory (06:14:27). They narrowly beat Philip Botha and Andries Mynhardt (Red-Lined Revo T1+), who finished just seven seconds ahead of the Dutch duo Victor Versteijnen and Petrus van Dal (Daklapack Rallysport).
The event was not without its casualties. Heavy hitters Gary Bertholdt/Henry Köhne and Hennie de Klerk/Carl Swanepoel were forced to retire in the second half of the race despite solid top-10 positions early on. Additionally, the Blignaut brothers suffered a broken wheel-bearing near the end, while Danie Ludick and Denzil Williamson unfortunately rolled their Ford Evo Plus.
In the alternative categories:
Adventurer Class: Peet Victor and VanZyl Jonck (VAPS HCV Rally-Raid) fought back from a Friday puncture to take the class win, followed by Tokkie Ferreira/Nardus Janse van Rensburg in second and Tyler Botha/Kyle Lotter in third.
Challenger Class: Veterans Geoff Minnitt and Rodney Burke (Hydro Power Equipment Maverick R) leveraged their experience to take the victory over the young Dutch brothers, Henk and Pim Klaassen.
Looking Ahead to Round Two
The season opener provided a perfect showcase of the high-stakes drama expected from the 2026 championship. With the margins between the top teams tighter than ever, the championship battle is officially wide open. Competitors will now regroup and prepare for another grueling challenge when the second round of the SA Rally-Raid Championship heads to the Stella area for a three-day event from July 24 to 26.
All image credits: South African Rally-Raid Championship
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