The opening day of the GR Stella 1000 Marathon, the second round of the 2026 SA Rally-Raid Championship that takes place this weekend, 24 to 26 July over three days and almost a thousand kilometres in the Stella area in the North-West Province, was marked by exhilarating racing that put the first results on the scoreboard.
A short six kilometre Qualifying Race determined the starting positions for Stage One that consisted of 24 fast and furious kilometres. Teams then had to repeat the distance again with the combined results of the three completed racing sections acting as the results for the first of the three days of racing.
And when the dust had settled in the cold winter air, the multiple SA Rally champion, Guy Botterill and navigator, Henry Köhne in the Toyota Gazoo Racing Hilux IMT EVO appeared as the first leaders of the marathon race with their total time of 33 minutes and 29 seconds a mere three seconds faster than that of their team-mates, Saood Variawa and Charan Moore in second place.
Race tactics were implemented early in the race with the two TGR teams posting the fourth and 12th fastest times after the Qualifying Race. The 10 fastest teams of the qualifier then draw for their starting positions with Botterill/Köhne starting Stage One from fifth place while Variawa/Moore started from their 12th place albeit only 13 seconds behind Jayden Els/Johann Swemmer (Century
Racing Factory Team CR7) who were the fastest qualifiers and decided to start Stage One from sixth place.
It was a game of keeping your noses clean while still going for gold as two more days and more than 800 kilometres of racing still lie ahead.
Four Ultimate FIA T1+ Toyota teams finished the first day in the top five with the two #TeamHilux Rally-Raid teams of Fouche and Bertus Blignaut, who were second after the qualifying race, posting the third combined best times (33:42) followed by former multiple 1000 Marathon race winners, Giniel de Villiers/Dennis Murphy (33:47) who moved up after starting Stage One from 13th position.
There was just nothing between the teams and another former marathon winner duo, Gareth Woolridge/Boyd Dreyer (Castrol NWM Ford Rally-Raid Evo Plus) rounded out the top five (33:50).
They were followed by the young Sa’aad Variawa for who this is an all-new experience and navigator Wade Harris (TGR Hilux IMT EVO). The team made a good start by qualifying third and starting Stage One from seventh position to finish the day a mere two seconds behind the Ford team.
Els/Swemmer were seventh for the day (33:56) with another Castrol NWM Ford Evo Plus in the hands of Danie Ludick and Denzil Williamson ninth overall (35:15) and in Ultimate FIA T1+.
Also in the top 10 were the two leading Ultimate SA T1+ teams of Philip Botha/Andries Mynhardt (Red-Lined Motorsport Revo T1+) who showed their intent as the seventh qualifiers and then finishing the day in eighth place (35:12). Lood du Preez/Adriaan Roets (Farmers Meat Century Racing CR6) rounded out the top 10 and were second in the class with a total time of 35 minutes and 17 seconds after qualifying in ninth place.
A blanket of 108 seconds covers the leading 10 teams, but after a day of tight racing – and navigating narrow gates – not much separates the rest of the teams.
Two more Castrol NWM Ford Rally-Raid teams are in the overall top 20 with Wors Prinsloo/André Vermeulen in 11th place (35:30) and the father and son newcomers, Michael and Luke Lawlor in a respectable 19th place (39:32).
Just under a minute and a half covers the four Ultimate SA T1+ teams from 12th to 15th. Johan and Sean van Staden (Red-Lined Revo T1+) laid a solid foundation to finish 12th (35:32), nine seconds clear of Hennie de Klerk/Carl Swanepoel (Treasury One Toyota Hilux) in 13th and the first of the three VAPS HCV Rally-Raid teams, Abrie and Olivier (Red-Lined Revo T1+) in 14th (36:52). Local heroes, Malcolm Kock/Jaco van Aardt (VW Amarok), who were eighth after the qualifier and opening the road for Stage One, completed the first day in 15th place (36:55).
Marathon racing might be new to most Adventurer competitors including the class leaders, Peet Victor/VanZyl Jonck (VAPS HCV Rally-Raid Red-Lined VK50) who finished 16th overall with their team-mates, Tyler Botha/Kyle Lotter in 18th place (39:10) sandwiching Nielen Marx/Rikus Hattingh (38:44) in 17th position.
Geoff Minnitt/Leander Pienaar (Hydro Power Equipment Maverick) got their challenge off to a good start by finishing 20th overall while Schalk Burger/Armand du Toit (King Price Xtreme Ford Ranger) started their comeback successfully by finishing 21st and leading the Challenger Class. Tokkie Ferreira/Nardus Janse van Rensburg (Ford Ranger) are fourth in Adventurer and 22nd overall.
The German driver, Jurgen Schröder and Rikus Fourie (WCT VW Amarok) ran into some trouble and will start the second day from the back of the field.
Day Two will see teams having to complete Stages Three and Four of 204 kilometres each with the ceremonial start at 08:30 at Lion and Sable Lodge outside Stella where the Designated Service Point as well as Race Headquarters are situated. Spectators can expect another day filled with adrenaline-pumping racing action that will finish at the lodge.
Spectators and enthusiasts can follow the race via the RallySafe App with various spectacular vantage points along the route or on Facebook: @sarallyraidchampionship; Instagram: @sarallyraidchampionship; Tik Tok: @sarallyraid and YouTube: @SouthAfricanRallyRaidSARRC
The opening day of the GR Stella 1000 Marathon took place in the North West https://t.co/SIoxNO6shQ#ArriveAlive #RoadSafety #SARallying pic.twitter.com/zEhxdgMoA8
– Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) July 25, 2026
