Lategan & Cummings won the PS Laser ProMac Vryheid 400
By Stephan Wolf
The second round of the South African Rally-Raid Championship (or SARRC) was a new race, the PS Laser ProMac Vryheid 400 (taking the place of the traditional Sugarbelt 400 in May).
The race route consisted of four special stages. First on Friday there was the Qualifying Race (prologue, according to the results of which the Top 10 choose starting positions on SS1) with a length of 15 km and a relatively short special stage with a length of 38 km. The main battle was expected on Saturday — two runs of the big and twisting 175 km long special stage. The total competition distance is 403 km.
Friday was the most successful day for the Neil Woolridge Motorsport crews. First, brothers Gareth and Lance Woolridge (both driving Ford NWM Ranger T1+) took a double victory in the qualifying race, and after SS1 held the second and third positions in the race. However, Saturday was much less successful - Lance Woolridge finished the race fourth and Gareth Woolridge lost half an hour and was only eighth (both had brake problems).
At the end of the race, Toyota Gazoo Racing had the full advantage, taking the entire podium at the finish. The victory went to Henk Lategan, who took revenge for his disappointing failure at the first round in April and was almost six minutes ahead of his teammate Guy Botterill. Giniel de Villiers, winner of the first round, finished third. This trio now occupies the top three positions in the overall standings after two rounds.
Junior Jayden Els (King Price Xtreme SVR prototype), who finished third at the previous round, was unlucky. At the Vryheid 400 he was third-fourth in qualifying (same time as Guy Botterill), but already on SS1 a few kilometres after the start he damaged the rear suspension.
The next round will be the big three-day TGR 1000 rally-raid (June 21–23), which could have between 800 and 1,000km of competitive distance.
PS Laser ProMac Vryheid 400
1. Lategan/Cummings (Toyota GR Hilux IMT EVO) 6:43:01
2. Botterill/Murphy (Toyota GR Hilux IMT EVO) +5:43
3. De Villiers/Vonk (Toyota GR Hilux IMT EVO) +12:42
4. Woolridge L./Gilbert (Ford NWM Ranger T1+) +12:52
5. Visser/Venter (Red-Lined REVO T1+ GTR) +26:44
South African Rally-Raid Championship (Overall)*
1. De Villiers - 48
2. Botterill - 46
3. Lategan - 30
* - provisional results
Photo Credits: Dave Ledbitter, teams social media
