The defending South African Rally-Raid Champion, Saood Variawa and navigator, Charan Moore, claimed the first victory of the 2026 season in their Toyota Gazoo Racing Hilux IMT EVO when they won the INGCO Parys 400 that took place on 19 and 20 June over more than 400 kilometres in the Free State.
In a race that was described as very tricky with lots of rocks as well as fast open sections, with dust and mud also playing a role in the approach of the teams in the first round of the SARR season, it was an extremely close and tough battle at the front with mere seconds separating the teams during the two days.
Variawa/Moore started the first of the two 200 kilometre stages on Saturday from second position behind Gareth Woolridge/Boyd Dreyer (Castrol NWM Ford Rally-Raid Evo Plus) who posted the fastest combined times after a short qualifying race and a compact 21 kilometre stage, repeated twice, on Friday with only three seconds separating the two teams while a mere 38 seconds covered the leading five teams.
It was an extremely close battle at the front where Giniel de Villiers/Dennis Murphy (#ToyotaHilux Rally-Raid DKR T1+ EVO), who started the main race from fifth place, as well as Variawa/Moore’s team-mates, Guy Botterill/Oriol Mena Valdearcos – the winners of this event last year – who were the third team out of the blocks, all joined in the heated chase.
In the end, Variawa with Moore, who stood in for regular French navigator, Francois Cazalet, dodged the rocks and kept their noses clean to bag maximum overall points while they also won the Ultimate FIA T1+ Class. Their total time was 05:56:31 and only 29 seconds separated them from second-placed Woolridge/Dreyer who overcame the challenges of running first on the road.
A mere three seconds covered the teams in second, third and fourth as De Villiers/Murphy (05:57:01) clinched the final podium spot finishing only one second behind the NWM Ford team while Botterill/Mena Valdearcos were only a second back to finish fourth overall and in Ultimate FIA T1+.
After a calculated race, the German driver, Daniel Schröder together with Juan Möhr brought their PS Laser WCT VW Amarok home in fifth place (06:06:57). Behind them, Jayden Els/Johann Swemmer (Century Factory Racing Team CR7), who won the tightly contested qualifying race on Friday, but then lost time during Stage One due to a mechanical issue and started Saturday from 17th place, produced a determined charge to finish sixth overall and in Ultimate FIA T1+ (06:08:32) despite experiencing technical difficulties 30 kilometres before the finish.
Wors Prinsloo/André Vermeulen brought their Castrol NWM Ford Evo Plus home in seventh place (06:12:58).
Like the battles in Ultimate FIA T1+, the competition in the Ultimate SA T1+ was as fierce and the first-class victory went to the Farmer’s Meat CR6 team of Lood du Preez/Adriaan Roets (06:14:27) who moved up 10 places from starting 18th on the final day. And while they pipped Philip Botha/Andries Mynhardt (Red-Lined Revo T1+) by just 118 seconds, Botha/Mynhardt were only seven seconds clear of the Dutch duo, Victor Versteijnen/Petrus van Dal (Daklapack Rallysport Red-Lined Revo GTR) who rounded out the SA T1+ podium.
Three more teams scored points in the overall and Ultimate FIA T1+ standings with Saood’s younger brother and team-mate, Sa’aad Variawa and Wade Harris finishing 11th overall (06:18:03) while two more Castrol NWM Ford Evo Plus teams, newcomers Michael and his son, Luke Lawlor and the Brazilian team, Marcos Baumgart/Kleber Cincea, were 14th and 16th overall respectively.
Their team-mates, Danie Ludick/Denzil Williamson unfortunately rolled their vehicle while a broken wheel-bearing forced the Blignaut brothers, Fouché and Bertus (#TeamHilux Rally-Raid Toyota DKR T1+ EVO), who started the race from fourth place, to call it a day 40 kilometres before the finish.
There were also first points on the scoreboard for Ultimate SA T1+ competitors Jurgen Schröder/Rikus Fourie (PS Laser WCT VW Amarok) who finished 12th overall and fourth in the class (06:23:23) after starting way down the field due to time lost after a mechanical issue on Friday. Johan and Sean van Staden (Red-Lined Revo T1+) overcame various difficulties, including starting at the very back of the field and losing a wheel during the main race, to finish fifth in the class.
Gary Bertholdt/Henry Köhne (WCT Toyota Hilux T1+) and Hennie de Klerk/Carl Swanepoel (Toyota Hilux) started the final day in the overall top 10 but were forced to retire in the second half of the race.
Two VAPS HCV Rally-Raid teams finished on the Adventurer Class podium with Peet Victor/VanZyl Jonck claiming the victory after starting the race towards the back of the field due to time lost time changing a wheel on Friday during the race. Tyler Botha/Kyle Lotter in a similar Red-Lined VK50 finished third, sandwiching Tokkie Ferreira/Nardus Janse van Rensburg (Ford Ranger) who were second.
In the Challenger Class, veterans Geoff Minnitt/Rodney Burke (Hydro Power Equipment Maverick R) got the better of the young Dutch brothers, Henk and Pim Klaassen (DaklaPack Rallysport Taurus T3 Max) with the teams finishing 13th and 19th overall respectively.
The second round of the 2026 SA Rally-Raid Championship will take place over three days in the Stella area from 24 to 26 July.
