International rally stars, including Carlos Sainz, will be competing on local turf this week.
Image: Supplied
The long-anticipated Safari Rally kicks off on Monday, marking the first time that South Africa has ever hosted a round of the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC).
Based around Sun City in the North West, the gruelling rally will see crews cover a distance of 2,641km, of which 1,222km is timed.
The prologue is set to kick off on Monday afternoon, ahead of Tuesday’s Stage 1.
The top-tier ‘Ultimate’ class currently has 36 entries, with top local competitors set to compete with international rallying stars, including nine-time WRC champion Sébastien Loeb and multiple Dakar winner Nasser Al Attiyah, in their Dacia Sandriders.
Al-Attiyah currently leads the Rally-Raid Championship, with a 23-point advantage over Yazeed Al-Rajhi, who remains on the sidelines after injuring his back at the Jordan Baja in April.
Fellow former Dakar victors Carlos Sainz and Nani Roma will also be aiming to tame the African terrain in their M-Sport Ford Raptors.
TGRSA will be fielding two Hiluxes with special livery for the event.
Image: Supplied
On the local front, event sponsor Toyota Gazoo Racing of South Africa, will field two locally-prepared GR Hilux Evos, driven by Saood Variawa and Guy Botterill.
The rally-raid bakkies sport updated ‘sand beige’ liveries crafted specifically for this event.
"We decided to pay homage to the typical South African safari vehicle, with the livery of our cars for this race," said TGRSA Team Principal, Shameer Variawa.
"When you go to the bush, you will find beige-coloured game viewers or ranger support vehicles more often than not. Given that we will be racing in that same terrain this coming week, we felt that it was apt to reflect the 'African' heritage in our liveries."
The Bike Category sees home-grown talents such as Dwain Barnard, Mauritz Meiring, Ruan Burger and Carien Teessen, taking on international stars like Ricky Brabec, Skyler Howes, Adrien Van Beveren, and world champion Ross Branch from Botswana.
Schedule of events
Members of the public can enjoy spectator points free of charge at each stage.
Monday’s Prologue consists of 9km of tight bush trails and fast gravel sections, which will determine the starting order.
Tuesday, May 20: Stage 1 (262km) loops west towards Lichtenburg, combining sand tracks and open farm roads.
Wednesday, May 21: Stage 2 (352km) Takes on the grasslands of Barberspan, with some off-piste terrain, ending at the marathon bivouac.
Thursday, May 22: Stage 3 (253km) loops back from Stella, with long, fast sections and tricky navigation.
Friday, May 23: Stage 4 (224km) is described as a punishing route into Skilpadshek, with the route including technical bushveld and rocky mountain sections.
Saturday, May 24: Stage 5 (118km) consists of a loop through red dust and farm land, returning to Sun City for the finish.
“Over the past two days, the test tracks set up by the organisers have given the numerous entrants who have never raced in South Africa before, a sneak peek of what the race has in store for them,” event organisers said.
“Local specialists, with their intimate knowledge of the terrain, will make life hard for the W2RC front-runners.”
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