Colin-on-Cars - Ford dominates in the desert

The Neil Woolridge Motorsport (NWM) Ford Castrol Team scored an emphatic one-two finish in the EcoBoost V6-powered T1+ Ford Rangers at Round 3 of the South African Rally Raid Championship (SARRC), which was held in Jwaneng, Botswana, from 23-25 June 2023.

As the longest and toughest event of the year, the Toyota Gazoo Racing Kalahari Botswana 1000 Desert Race is a three-day marathon event which covers almost 1 000km of racing through semi-arid terrain, characterised by unforgiving thorn bushes and lots of soft sand.

Despite the punishing conditions destroying bodywork on all the competitor cars and pushing the crews to the limit, the pair of NWM Ford Castrol T1+ Rangers ran almost fault-free throughout the weekend. The team wrapped up each of the three days on top of the overall standings to beat arch-rival Toyota – a team that currently holds the SARRC, Dakar Rally and World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) titles.

“This was a perfect weekend for us, and what a fantastic way to follow up our recent announcement that we will be going to Dakar Rally in 2024, in partnership with Ford Performance and M-Sport,” said Neil Woolridge, NWM Ford Castrol team principal. “We’re up against the world’s best rally raid team in the toughest conditions we face in our local championship, so dominating all three days and finishing first and second is an amazing result.

“We’ve been pushing extremely hard to develop our car this year, the team has been training hard and we’ve been practising changing key components like the differential which we swapped out on Lance’s car during the 30-minute service on Sunday due to a small oil leak,” Neil says. “Our drivers and navigators didn’t put a foot wrong the whole weekend, and we didn’t even get a single puncture. It’s immensely rewarding to see all of our hard work and long hours paying off with such a great result.”

Lance Woolridge and co-driver Kenny Gilbert (#234) set the wheels in motion for the NWM Ford Castrol squad by topping the timesheets during Friday’s 61km sprint qualifying session, with team-mates Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer (#277) placed fifth. A mere 23 seconds separated the top five competitors.

On Saturday the crews faced two loops of a 220km route east of Jwaneng through narrow, tight and twisty tracks lined by punishing thorn bushes and trees that decimated the bodywork of the vehicles, and had the drivers and co-drivers extremely busy for each stage kilometre. 

Although the cars looked decidedly worse for wear at the end of the day – which resulted in the team working until the early hours of Sunday morning to repair the damage – the pair of Ford Rangers were mechanically sound and had stamped their authority on the proceedings. Gareth and Boyd worked their way into the overnight lead with a margin of 2 min 54 seconds over Lance and Kenny, who were almost four minutes ahead of Toyota’s Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings.

Two loops of a 214km route west of Jwaneng remained for Sunday’s thrilling action, with more open and faster terrain providing some relief for the competitors, as well as the mechanics. Other than the rear diff replacement due to the minor oil leak on Lance’s car – which was swapped out within the allotted 30-minute service interval – the T1+ Rangers had a hassle-free run to the finish line while many of their rivals faltered with punctures, damage and mechanical issues.

Gareth and Boyd set an astonishing pace and cemented their advantage to claim a confident victory, with their team-mates backing them up and finishing 3 min 42 seconds adrift after more than 11 hours of flat-out racing over the three days.

“We couldn’t have scripted it better,” Gareth said. “A one-two for the team at the Desert Race, which is the toughest event of the year, is really special. It’s indicative of all the work we’ve been doing on the car, and we still have several upgrades that will be coming later in the year that we can look forward to.”

There was delight for Lance and Kenny too, as they celebrated finishing second overall to hand the NWM Ford Castrol Team a dominant one-two result, which also secured the pair’s first podium finish together since joining forces for the 2023 SARRC season. They ended 4 min 37 sec ahead of the third-placed Toyota of Guy Botterill/Simon Vacy-Lyle, and more than 21 minutes ahead of Giniel de Villiers/Dennis Murphy in another Toyota.

“With us winning prologue on Friday, having Gareth and Boyd leading on Saturday, then wrapping it all up with our cars finishing first and second overall is a dream result for the team,” Lance said. “I think the last time a brand other than Toyota won the Desert Race was about seven years ago, so to get a one-two today for Ford is amazing.

“We could never have done it without our fantastic team. They worked until 03:30 this morning to fix all the damage from the route conditions, and were up again at 5am to get the cars ready for the day,” Lance said. “So they are the real heroes this weekend.”

NWM privateers

Wors Prinsloo and Andre Vermeulen (#241) in the NWM-supported privateer T1+ Ford Ranger were among the top contenders during Friday’s qualifying loop, finishing an impressive seventh overall, just over a minute off the leading time set by Lance Woolridge and Kenny Gilbert.

Unfortunately, they were hampered by a driveshaft issue both on Saturday and Sunday, but their qualifying pace was certainly noteworthy and outgunned several of the far more seasoned SARRC competitors.

There were two V8-powered NWM Ford Rangers competing in Class T, and both crews made it to the finish line. Hendrik and Heinrich du Plessis (#T16) took the class win and finished this arduous race in a highly commendable 12th place overall, while Bernard and Minette Johnstone (#T22) joined them on the second step of the podium, having crossed the line 25th overall.

2024 Dakar Rally

Ford Performance is set to expand its global motorsports effort by competing in the legendary Dakar Rally, one of the toughest off-road competitions on Earth.

A purpose-built, race-ready Ford Ranger T1+ will compete in the 2024 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia in the Rally Raid T1+ class. Ford Performance is collaborating in a comprehensive test and development program with M-Sport and Neil Woolridge Motorsport to prepare for what is expected to be an extremely tough challenge come January 2024.

Words and Images: Colin Mileman

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Colin-on-Cars - Ford ready for the desert

Knowing the deal is done for Pietermaritzburg’s Neil Woolridge Motors to be the builders of the official Ford foray into the Dakar Rally makes its efforts at the upcoming Toyota Gazoo Botswana Desert 1000 even more significant than usual.

Over the past three years, the Desert Race has taken place in Upington in the Northern Cape as a result of travel and logistics restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. For 2023, the Toyota Gazoo Racing Kalahari Botswana 1000 Desert Race (TGR 1000) heads back to the diamond mining town of Jwaneng, which hosted the event for several years before it was moved to Selebi-Phikwe in 2019.

Its unique status as a three-day marathon event sees the action commence on Friday with a short 61 km qualifying loop to determine the starting order for the main race. The top 10 competitors then draw their starting positions, with the strategy regarding road position for the opening loop being a key consideration.

On Saturday the competitors will complete two 220 km loops to the east of Jwaneng, separated by a mandatory 30-minute service stop at the designated service park (DSP), located at the Jwaneng Sports Complex which also serves as the race headquarters.

Sunday sees the teams tackle two runs through a 214 km race loop west of Jwaneng, with a 30-minute service stop in between. The overall times for the weekend will determine the final results.

“The Desert Race is extremely popular in Botswana. We have a loyal and enthusiastic following in the country, and we know the fans are eager to see the SARRC return this year,” says Neil Woolridge, team principal of the NWM Ford Castrol squad.

“We have enjoyed good results at the Desert Race, and our team has been buoyed by last week’s announcement that we will be competing at the 2024 Dakar Rally with our T1+ Ranger, along with Ford Performance and M-Sport. 

"Over the past year, we have conducted a series of in-depth tests with M-Sport to further develop our T1+ Ranger for the Dakar Rally, and our results in the opening rounds of the 2023 season have shown that all of this hard work is paying off,” Woolridge says.

Gareth Woolridge and co-driver Boyd Dreyer are the leading NWM Ford Castrol contenders in their #277 T1+ EcoBoost V6-powered Ranger, having scored back-to-back podium finishes at the season-opening Nkomazi 400 in Malalane and the Sugarbelt 400 in Eston.

Accordingly, they are currently tied for second place in the Production Vehicle championship, along with the Toyota crew of Giniel de Villiers/Dennis Murphy.

“Gareth and Boyd are busy with another test session in Morocco currently and will arrive in Botswana on Thursday, having had the benefit of thousands of kilometres of testing over the past couple of months. So they will be very well prepared to go for it the moment the flag drops in Jwaneng,” Woolridge says.

Lance Woolridge and co-driver Kenny Gilbert (#234) have had a tough start to their first season together, but have shown impressive pace on several occasions. They are currently eighth overall in the championship and are aiming to maximize their points haul at this crucial event – especially with the prospect of 45 points up for grabs for the class win, in place of the normal 30 points for the shorter events.

The NWM-supported privateer team of Wors Prinsloo and Andre Vermeulen (#241) is eager to get back in the action in their T1+ Ranger after missing the previous round. They are currently 13th overall in the standings, having finished an impressive seventh at the opening round of the season.

Fans can follow all the action and track the position of the crews throughout each of the 2023 season’s seven races using the RallySafe app, which can be downloaded free of charge for iOS and Android devices from the relevant app stores.

2024 Dakar Rally

Ford Performance is set to expand its global motorsports effort by competing in the legendary Dakar Rally, one of the toughest off-road competitions on Earth.

A purpose-built, race-ready Ford Ranger T1+ will compete in the 2024 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia in the Rally Raid T1+ class. Ford Performance is collaborating in a comprehensive test and development program with M-Sport and Neil Woolridge Motorsport to prepare for what is expected to be an extremely tough challenge come January 2024.

https://bit.ly/3Xep7Bg

Colin-on-Cars - Time to step up

It is nearly time for someone to step up and be part of the Dakar legend – and the Toyota 1000 Desert Race in Botswana is the place to do it.

The race moves back to Botswana and kicks off in Jwaneng on June 23 and, officially known as the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing SA Kalahari Botswana 1000 Desert Race, or TGRSA 1,000 Desert Race for short, the third round of the 2023 South African Rally-Raid Championship (SARRC) offers arguably the biggest single prize of the year: Free entry to the Dakar Rally.

The TGRSA 1000 Desert Race has consistently been the longest and toughest motor sport event on the African continent, and as such offers the type of test that is in line with the gruelling Dakar Rally itself.

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing SA are again aligning with the Amaury Sports Organisation (ASO), organisers of the Dakar Rally, to offer Dakar hopefuls the opportunity to win a free entry to the race.

As before, as this initiative is known, the Road to Dakar is open to all privateers who haven’t previously taken part in the Dakar Rally. The winning competitor can choose to enter the next Dakar or the following one, effectively giving the team a maximum of 18 months to prepare for the race.

This means that crews who have previously won the Dakar Challenge or Road to Dakar but haven’t been able to take up their prize, are eligible to win again in 2023.

In order to further level the playing field for competitors, the organisers of the Dakar Rally have set a rule that both the driver and navigator must be Dakar rookies, neither having taken part in the Dakar Rally before.

Crews hoping to follow in the footsteps of previous Road to Dakar winners need to specifically register for the challenge before the TGRSA 1,000 Desert Race starts. Past winners of the race-within-a-race include Thomas Rundle, Gary Bertholdt, Jason Venter, Hennie de Klerk, Terence Marsh, Jaco van Dyk, Eben Basson and most recently Yannick Panagoitis.

“We are proud to once again host the iconic Desert Race, this time back in Botswana, where the race is one of the biggest sporting events on that country’s calendar,” says Toyota SA Motors Vice-President for Marketing, Glenn Crompton.

“Toyota has been an integral part of South African rally-raid racing for many decades, and our Dakar-winning Hilux T1+ has become a point of pride not only for the company but for South Africans in general. This year, we are again pleased to offer a rookie crew the opportunity to share in the Dakar dream, by hosting the Road to Dakar in Botswana.”

This year’s TOYOTA GAZOO Racing SA Kalahari Botswana 1000 Desert Race will take place on 23-25 June, in the area surrounding the town of Jwaneng in southern Botswana.

This area has played host to the race on multiple occasions in the past, though the last time was in 2018, before a move to Selebi Pikwe in 2019.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused the 2020 Desert Race to be cancelled, and the town of Upington, in South Africa’s Northern Cape, hosted in 2021 and 2022, with the race returning to Botswana for 2023.

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Colin-on-Cars - Hilux tames the sugar cane

Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings crossed the finish line to take top spot at the Sugarbelt 400 held near Eston, KwaZulu-Natal recently – with teammates Giniel de Villiers/Dennis Murphy in a second Toyota Gazoo Racing Hilux not far behind.

"It was a lot tougher to open the route during qualifying than we expected, and we lost some time there," shared race-winner Lategan. "The first race loop went very well until we slid off the road while reversing after an overshoot. We were wedged against a tree and lost some time extricating the GR DKR Hilux T1+, but we got going again."

The crew also suffered a puncture shortly after this incident, which further delayed their progress. They also faced a problem with the front differential, finishing the first loop with a deficit of 1min to the leaders.

Lategan and Cummings didn't let the issues hold them back, however. They pushed extremely hard during the second loop, managing to make up enough time to secure victory, despite suffering a second puncture.

"We fought our way back during the second loop," Lategan added. "Our team's determination and hard work paid off, and we are thrilled to have secured the win."

Hot on their heels, teammates Giniel de Villiers and co-driver Dennis Murphy finished a mere 3min 16sec behind, securing a solid second place. The final crew in the TGRSA line-up, Guy Botterill and Simon Vacy-Lyle, narrowly missed the podium, finishing in a commendable fourth place overall.

"I am immensely proud of our crews for having shown grit, determination, and a strong fighting spirit," said Glyn Hall, TGRSA Team Principal. "Despite facing some challenges, they stayed focused and brought home outstanding results."

The Sugarbelt 400 course, set in the beautiful and rugged terrain around the town of Eston in KwaZulu-Natal, posed its unique challenges. The race wound through sugarcane fields and plantations, testing the mettle of all participants.

With the Sugarbelt 400 now in the past, TGRSA is shifting its focus to the next challenge: the TGRSA 1000 Desert Race. Known as the longest and toughest motorsport event on the African continent, this race is also a 'home race' for TGRSA, as the team also serves as the title sponsor for the event.

"We are looking forward to the TGRSA 1000 Desert Race, and we are keen to maintain our momentum," Hall added. "This year, the race is moving back to Botswana, where it will be run in the area around the southern town of Jwaneng. Our crews are up to the challenge, and we are excited to see what the next round holds for us."

https://bit.ly/3MCHeNX

Colin-on-Cars - Ford dominates in Eston

Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer proved that they are serious contenders for the South African Rally-Raid Championship title this year following an impressive performance at this weekend’s Sugarbelt 400 in Eston, KwaZulu-Natal, which earned them a second consecutive podium.

The Neil Woolridge Motorsport (NWM) Ford Castrol crew proved their potential, as well as that of the EcoBoost V6-powered T1+ Ranger, on Friday’s 52km qualifying loop by blitzing the short but intense sprint through the sugarcane plantations that define this scenic farming area.

They completed the qualifying sprint in a time of 42 min 49 sec after a faultless run – a substantial 01:13 quicker than second-placed Toyota rivals Giniel de Villiers and Dennis Murphy, and a further two seconds ahead of the second Toyota of Henk Lategan/Brett Cummings.

Their advantage was ultimately cut back to just four seconds after the qualifying sprint was recalculated to end at the 20.29km mark following a fire that blocked the route for several competitors. NWM Ford Castrol team-mates Lance Woolridge and Kenny Gilbert slotted into third place overnight based on the revised times, just seven seconds adrift of De Villiers/Murphy, and a mere one second ahead of Lategan/Cummings.

Saturday saw the exciting battle at the sharp end of the field gain further momentum as Gareth and Boyd completed the opening 162km loop in the lead after a fast and trouble-free run – with a useful margin of 59 seconds to Lategan/Cummings, and 04:43 ahead of De Villiers/Murphy.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go to plan for Lance and Kenny, as a navigation error cost them considerable time and they dropped down the running order.

Punctures afflicted several of the top competitors on the second 162km loop, and this included Gareth and Boyd as they had to replace a tyre with 50km remaining. With less than a minute separating the NWM Ford Ranger pair from the lead at the final split, the thrilling tussle faded as they picked up a problem on the front brakes with just 30km to go.

Having to rely solely on the handbrake to slow the vehicle, Gareth and Boyd fought tenaciously right to the finish, and were rewarded with third place overall. They lost out on second place by just 14 seconds to De Villiers/Murphy after almost 350km of high-paced action, with the win going to Lategan/Cummings. This was the NWM Ford Castrol crew’s second podium on the trot, after securing the runner-up spot at the season-opening race in Malalane.

“It was great to win the qualifying race yesterday, and we started today strong and found a good rhythm on the first loop,” Gareth said. “We were even quicker on loop two and it was going really well until we got the puncture. We then had the brake issue which cost us a lot of time, so finishing third is a good result all considered.

“For our local championship, it’s really exciting that the top teams are very evenly matched. Today was a proper race, especially amongst the three of us up front. We all had a laugh at the end and agreed that it was extremely close, which is nice to see,” Gareth added.

Lance and Kenny’s first loop navigation error was compounded by an issue with the rear differential, which the team elected to replace at the mandatory 30-minute service stop. They incurred a further 15 minutes of lateness making the change, but fortunately had a clear and impressively fast run through the second loop, bringing the NWM Ranger home 12th overall and seventh in T1+.

“It was a tough weekend for us after the navigation mistake this morning, but Kenny and I are learning together which is our goal for this year,” Lance said. “On the second lap we had a perfect run without a single mistake and got into a really nice groove, so Kenny is very quickly getting to grips with the road book and GPS navigation.

“We also stopped to pull out Eben Basson and Leander Pienaar after they overshot a corner, and were happy to return the favour after they helped me at the Parys event last year,” Lance said. “We are looking forward to the Desert Race in Botswana, as that’s the big one and we have a lot of work planned for the cars, but the pace we had this weekend is very exciting for us.”

It was a positive result for NWM team principal, Neil Woolridge. “We’re always working on the car with upgrades and evolutions, and all the effort the team has put into it this year is really showing, as we’ve been very competitive in both of the opening races, which is very encouraging.

“Our joint development project with M-Sport is also bearing fruit, as we learn a lot about the car every time we go testing together,” Neil said. “Last week we completed around 3 500km of testing in Morocco without any issues, proving just how tough and capable our T1+ Ranger is, and it’s fantastic to be taking the fight to our rivals this year.”

The next race is the Toyota 1000 Desert Race in Jwaneng, Botswana, from 23-25 June 2023.

Story and Pictures: Colin Mileman

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Colin-on-Cars - Ford revved up for Eston encounter

Following a week of intense testing of its T1+ Ford Ranger in Morocco, Neil Woolridge Motors and the Ford Team are geared up for a good result on the Sugarbelt 400, the second round of the 2023 South African Rally Raid Championship (SARRC).

For the Neil Woolridge Motorsport (NWM) Ford Castrol Team, the second round will be a crucial opportunity to make the most of the significant upgrades it has introduced on its class FIA T1+ EcoBoost V6-powered Ford Ranger, which is built at NWM’s facility just north of the race venue, in Pietermaritzburg.

Leading up to the Sugarbelt 400, NWM embarked on week-long in-depth testing and development program on the T1+ Ranger in Morocco with its global rally-raid partner, M-Sport.

“Our intensified testing program in conjunction with M-Sport started straight after the Desert Race last year, and has allowed us to accelerate the development of our T1+ Ranger well beyond what we could achieve on our own in South Africa,” says NWM team principal Neil Woolridge.

“At this stage we don’t have a large customer base of T1+ vehicles competing around the world as do some of our rivals do, so all of the information gleaned from these tests is invaluable in ramping up our development of the vehicle to ensure we extract the best possible performance and durability,” Woolridge says. 

“It was clear at this year’s opening SARRC race that we have the package to challenge for top results, and we are looking forward to making the most of all the hard work put into our T1+ Ranger at Eston, and for the rest of the season.”

Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer (#277) are the top-placed NWM Ford Castrol crew after finishing second at the Nkomazi 400. The dynamic young team scored their first overall championship win at the final round of 2022, and they are eager to add more silverware to the trophy collection.

Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer

Team-mates Lance Woolridge and Kenny Gilbert (#234) had their first outing together at the 2023 season-opener in the second NWM T1+ Ranger. They posted the second-fastest time during the qualifying sprint – despite it being motorcycle racer Gilbert’s first time in the navigator’s seat.

Unfortunately, a damaged hydraulic clutch pipe halted their progress on the first race loop and forced them to retire, so their objective for the Sugarbelt 400 will be to secure maximum points to kickstart their 2023 championship challenge.

On the privateer front, the NWM-supported crew of Wors Prinsloo and Andre Vermeulen (#241) surprised many of the top competitors by finishing ninth overall in the T1+ category, and seventh amongst the four-wheel drive cars in their first national race with the T1+ NWM Ford Ranger.

Having raced the Class T NWM Ranger V8 previously, the team is on a fast learning curve getting to grips with the exceptional performance of their new T1+ Ranger, and learning just how hard they can push it in the roughest terrain – and they are sure to be a regular feature in the top 10 results.

The Sugarbelt 400 is well known for its spectacular scenery, set in the mountains and lush green sugarcane plantations surrounding Eston. The event is based at the Beaumont Eston Farmer’s Club which serves as the race headquarters, designated service park and start-finish.

The action commences on Friday 12 May at 12:30 with the short 52km Pirelli Qualifying Race, which determines the starting order for the main race on Saturday. Adding some strategic thinking to the mix, the top 10 teams will draw their starting positions from slowest to fastest, which always adds a dash of intrigue.

On Saturday, the crews will complete two loops of 160km each, starting at 08:00 and separated by a compulsory 30-minute service stop. Spectators have access to numerous viewing points located along the route to see the cars in action, along with free entry to the service park.

Fans can also follow all the action and track the position of the crews throughout each of the 2023 season’s seven races using the RallySafe app, which can be downloaded free of charge for iOS and Android devices from the relevant app stores.

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Colin-on-Cars - Toyota wins Dakar

Dakar 2023 proved a stunning success for South Africa. Nasser Al Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel’s GR Hilux DKR T1+ stormed to their third Dakar victory for Toyota Gazoo Racing on Sunday as SA cars starred, taking the overall and two class wins. 

South Africans also starred on two wheels, as Argentine Kevin Benavides took a sensational bike win from KTM teammate Toby Price. SA rider Michael Docherty took the rookie bike win, while compatriot and teammate Charan Moore won the no service Malle Moto Original bike class.

Sebastian Loeb

Attiyah and Baumel put in a faultless display to beat Sebastien Loeb’s Prodrive by an hour and 20 minutes with Brazilian rookie sensation Lucas Moraes third. SA crews Giniel de Villiers and Denis Murphy, and Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings fourth and fifth among five SA-built Toyotas in the top ten. Red-Lined cars took a T1.1 class 1-2, and Eben Basson and Abertus Pienaar won amongst the T3 SSV rookies.

SA MEN AND MACHINES STARRED AMONG DAKAR’S CARS

Winners, Al Attiyah and Baumel had another perfect run to their third win in a Toyota Gazoo Racing Hilux, and Nasser’s fifth Dakar win. Their sheer pace and consistency clearly benefits from their racing all year in the R2R world championship, and Toyota Gazoo Racing’s consistent development in the South African series. Their main rivals race less often.

Once he was finally into the groove, Loeb was relentless and set a record six stage wins in pursuit. The 9-time World Rally champion ended second ahead of a trio of ever-dependable South African Hiluxes. Young Brazilian rookie Lucas Moraes was the find of 2023 and a future Dakar star for sure, alongside legendary navigator Timo Gottschalk in their bright orange Hilux. 

Henk Lategan

SA Dakar legend Giniel de Villiers has now incredibly finished every one of the twenty Dakars he has started. Nineteen of them in the top ten. Fourth this year alongside Dennis Murphy, they came home ahead of Toyota Gazoo Racing Hilux DKR T1+ teammates and compatriots Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings. Five Hallspeed Toyotas in the top ten is also an immense feather in Hallspeed’s cap.

RED LETTER DAY FOR RED LINED

Dakar 2023 was also huge for South African rally raid carmaker Red-Lined. Its cars dominated the amateur class, as Schröder and Bland took the T1.1 win from Bell and Schutte. All four Red-Lined cars that started the gruelling race finished in the class top 5. Red-Lined Motorsport clearly succeeded in making its gentleman crews’ Dakar dreams come true. 

Century Racing‘s stellar performance fell apart in the final two days. Baragwanath and Cremer’s Factory CR6-T led the T1.2 4x2 class until their penultimate day crash. Ninth placed Frenchmen Mathieu Serradori and Loic Minaudier’s car suffered engine failure on the final day and had to be towed home to 12th by Baragwanath’s machine. An unhappy end to a stunning performance.

Also considered a car crew, South African GR Rally crew Eben Basson and Abertus Pienaar drove a calm and consistent race to take T3 side by side rookie honours. T3 compatriots Geoff Minnitt and Gerhard Snyman’s HBE South Racing Can Am overcame their occasional challenges to come home a fine 12th overall. 

THE CAR RACE IN REVIEW

Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz’ petrol-electric Audi hit the ground running to win the prologue and day 1. Attiyah took Day 2 as Loeb tumbled to 32nd, stuck in the desert without spare tyres. Chicherit’s Prodrive hit back to win Day 3 as Al Attiyah moved into a lead he would never relinquish. Loeb was back to win Day 4 before Al Attiyah consolidated his lead with double wins on Days 5 and 6. 

Saudi hero Yazeed Al Rajhi’s horrid week improved with a Day 6 win before Loeb benefited from Sainz’ penalty to win Day 8. Al Attiyah led a Toyota 1-2-3-5 from Lategan, Moraes, Loeb, and de Villiers at the rest day. Brian Baragwanath and Leonard Cremer’s Century led the T1.2 4x2’s in eighth, Schröder and Bland’s Red-Lined lead T1.1 as Chicherit sat 16th, Al Rajhi 17th and Sainz 37th, with Peterhansel out.

Week 2 was all about Sebastien Loeb. He took a record six stage wins on the trot in his relentless charge, topped a Prodrive 1-2-3 Tuesday, dominated the marathon on Wednesday and Thursday and moved up to second Friday. He won again on chaotic Saturday as the 4x2 leader Baragwanath crashed. Week 2 also claimed Sainz’s Audi, Zala’s Prodrive, Lionel Baud’s Toyota and Simon Vitse’s MD. 

A BRILLIANT BIKE SPECTACLE

In an incredible bike race, KTM teammates and former winners, Argentine Kevin Benavides, and Aussie Toby Price were tied in the overall lead at 33 kilometres into Sunday’s final stage. Price however slipped to allow Benavides to open up a minute lead by midway. Price duly clawed back a few seconds, but it was not enough to beat the stage and overall winner, Kevin Benavides.

Kevin Benavides

Skyler Howes rode home third for Husqvarna. Pablo Quintanilla ended a close fourth with him, Adrien van Beveren, Luciano Benavides, and second on Sunday, Daniel Sanders all within four minutes. Jose Flormino’s Honda, Lorenzo Santolino’s Sherco and Franco Caimi’s Hero closed off the bike top ten.

Of the South African bikers, 20th on the day 16th overall, overall rookie winner Michael Docherty’s HT Husqvarna ended third in the amateur R2 class behind Romain Dumontier and Paolo Lucci. Iron Mike led the R2 class early on, but a tough third day had him on the back foot. He fought back hard, three times challenging for overall day wins as he clawed back to that much deserved rookie victory.

DOCHERTY WON BIKE ROOKIES, MOORE MALLE MOTO

Michael Docherty

Compatriot and teammate, epic no service Malle Moto Original class winner Charan Moore ended 24th  on Sunday, 29th overall and 12th in amateur R2. Consistently in the Malle Moto fight, he led most of the way but had to fight back after a rough tenth day dropped him back. Malle Moto riders are not allowed backup of any kind and must service their own machines out of small metal box.

Botswana hero Ross Branch started well and ended fourth on day 2 before enduring a disastrous few days including running out of fuel and being stranded in the desert to lose seven hours on Day 4. Ross however fought back back to win two bike stages through week 2 as he brought it home in 26th overall.

Ever consistent Malle Moto hero Stuart Gregory ended a career best 61st and tenth in Malle Moto on his third Dakar finish. South African lady legend Kirsten Landman had a steady, if occasionally exhausting ride to 68th overall and 12th in Malle Moto. SA Dakar rookie, Stevan Wilken finished 69th off his best stage result in 56th on the final day, following a consistent race bar a painful Day 8 tumble.

AN ABSOLUTELY EPIC BIKE RACE IN REVIEW

Charan Moore

The bike race delivered seven different winners in the first seven days. Price took the prologue, Ricky Brabec’s Honda Day 1, and Mason Klein’s KTM Day 2. Sanders, Joan Barreda, van Beveren and Luciano Benavides took Days 3, 4, 5 and 6 as the lead changed consistently. Day 7 was cancelled before Ross Branch bounced back to take Day 8, as Klein led Howes by 40 seconds overall.

Luciano Benavides opened week 2 with a Tuesday win, and Branch took Wednesday as Kevin Benavides led overall, Docherty led the rookies and Moore led Malle Moto. Luciano won again Thursday as Price led Howes by 28 seconds. Ignacio Cornejo’s Honda won Friday and Kevin Benavides Saturday from Docherty to start Sunday’s final stage just 12 seconds behind Price overall.

Kevin Benavides duly took the day to win his second Dakar overall and put KTM back after three years off the top step of the podium. Dakar was cruel as ever, claiming top riders, 2022 winner Sam Sunderland and SA lad Bradley Cox on Day 1, Brabec on Day 2 and Barreda, Mattias Walkner and  Klein in Week 2.

Words: Motorsport Media

https://bit.ly/3w1d5yF

Colin-on-Cars - The sting in the tail

Saturday’s 154-kilometre stage through the dunes to Al Hofuf would prove a dramatic dream breaker for some. South African T1.2 leaders Brian Baragwanath and Leonard Cremer, who suffered a hard landing, flipped, and damaged their Factory Century. The car was towed out of the stage. Another Century driver, Yannick, was airlifted to hospital after another crash.

Up front, Sebastien Loeb and his navigator Fabian Lurquin stormed to an unprecedented sixth straight Dakar stage win and his seventh of 2023 in their Factory Prodrive Hunter. His relentless pursuit has however hardly made a dent over second place in todays stage, the wholly unflustered Nasser Al-Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel who have an hour and 21-minute overall lead in their Toyota Gazoo Racing Hilux DKR T1+.

Nasser Al-Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel

Mattias Ekstrom’s surviving Audi was third ahead of South Africans Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings’ Gazoo Hilux, home hero Yazeed Al Rajhi’s GR Hilux, and best of the 4x2s Jakub Przygonski’s Mini. Rookie sensation Luca Moraes was seventh in his Hilux from Guerlain Chicherit’s Hunter, Juan Yacopini’s Hilux, and SA duo Giniel de Villiers and Dennis Murphy’s Gazoo Hilux.

Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings

Outside the top ten, Mathieu Serradori and Loic Minaudier’s second Century recovered to 12th after a difficult start to close on new class leader Wei Han’s 4x2 advantage down to 2 minutes 30. Overall, Attiyah leads Loeb, Moraes, de Villiers and Lategan. Martin Prokop’s Ford Raptor sat sixth after a tough day, from Yacopini, up four places overall but closely followed by Han and Serradori.

Thomas Bell and SA navigator Gerhard Schutte led Daniel Schröder and his SA notes man Ryan Bland home to another South African Red-Lined Racing T1.1 amateur class 1-2. Schröder and Bland lead Bell and Schutte in a comfortable Red-Lined 1-2 overall, with all four of the maker’s cars still running into Sunday’s short final stage.

MORE DRAMA IN EPIC BIKE RACE 

As it was in the cars, the bikes also delivered great late Dakar drama. The day started with news that tenth overall US KTM youngster Mason Klein had thrown in the towel after struggling since a Day 9 crash. Then ninth overall KTM factory rider Matthias Walkner crashed heavily, as third overall, teammate Kevin Benavides stopped to help until Walkner was airlifted out.

Kevin Benavides

Benavides would ultimately gain his lost time back, but that kept him invisible through the day.  His pace was however clearly quicker than the men up front. Heroic South African rookie Michael Docherty’s FK Husqvarna led the way from brother Luciano Benavides’ Factory Husqvarna and Adrien van Beveren’s Honda, as overall top two, Price and Howes fought in sixth and seventh.

Docherty ultimately benefited a Luciano Benavides penalty to top the times, with overnight leader Toby Price’s KTM third from Husqvarna privateer Romain Dumontier, second overall Skyler Howes’ Husqvarna, Pablo Quintanilla’s Honda, privateer Tosha Schareina’s KTM and Botswana’s double ‘23 stage winner Ross Branch’s Hero in ninth. Kevin Benavides was provisionally placed 31st overall.

All of which left Price leading Howes overall. But the world awaited news of Kevin Benavides’ corrected time, which ultimately saw him regain over 23 minutes. So, Kevin Benavides not only took the day win, but he also moved up to second overall, just twelve seconds from KTM teammate Price.  Howes sat just a minute and 31 seconds off the pace in third.

SOUTH AFRICANS STAR ALL THE WAY

Another South African, Charan Moore made more waves in the desert sand a little further back. He stormed home 29th on Sunday to move back into a 17 minute overall Malle Moto Original class lead on his R2 FK Husqvarna. Considered the ultimate Dakar iron man adventure, Malle Moto riders are not allowed backup of any kind, and must service their own machines out of small metal box.

Charan Moore

SA lady and gentlemen riders, Stuart Gregory goes into the final day in 63rd overall and tenth in Malle Moto, lady star Kirsten Landman 71st overall and 12th in Malle Moto and rookie Stevan Wilken 73rd overall. Marcelo Medeiros took another quad stage win from Giovanni Enrico and Moreno Flores, but Alexandre Giroud takes a 44-minute lead over Flores going into the final stage on Sunday.

Mitch Guthrie again won the T3 SSV day. SA rookie leaders Eben Basson and Abertus Pienaar were ninth and Geoff Minnitt and Gerhard Snyman 24th. Austin Jones has a strong overall lead with Basson seventh and Minnitt 12th. Second overall, Eryk Goczal beat leader Rokas Baciuska on Sunday, to close Baciuska’s advantage down to 3 minutes 24 in T4 SSV. Janus van Kasteren led the trucks overall. 

A 134 km short, sandy and gravel track road through a pan or two is all that now separates the 2023 field form the Dakar finish in Damman. Judging by Saturday’s late dramas however, it will not be over until that fat lady sings.

Words: Motorsport Media

https://bit.ly/3k5wCen

Colin-on-Cars - Keeping up the pressure

Nine-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb’s ruthless pressure paid off as his fifth straight stage win on Friday moved him up to second overall, an hour and a half behind overall leader Nasser Al-Attiyah’s made in South Africa Toyota Gazoo Racing Hilux. In a busy day among the cars, the bike race remains on tenterhooks as South African men and machines fly the flag high in Saudi Arabia.

CARS: LOEB TO SECOND OVERALL BEHIND NASSER

The bikes set off early on what again proved to be a fast sandy, pan and dune filled day back to service at Shaybah with the cars also away relatively early. And as it has been ever since racing resumed on Tuesday, it was Loeb and Fabian Lurquin who stormed to their fifth stage win on the trot, and their seventh of twelve 2023 day wins in the Factory Prodrive Hunter.

Sebastian Loeb - chasing hard.

Loeb’s relentless pressure saw him move up to second overall behind runaway leaders, Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel, who were third on the day behind Mattias Ekstrom’s surviving Audi. Loeb had languished in 31st after day 2, but his meteoric pace saw him finally pluck second from rookie sensation Lucas Moraes and Timo Gottschalk’s Hilux, when they stopped briefly late on Friday.

There was more of a shake-up behind, as South Africans Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings Toyota Gazoo Racing Hilux lost 25 minutes at a standstill early in the stage. They slipped to fifth overall behind teammates and SA compatriots, ninth on the day Giniel de Villiers and Dennis Murphy. Consistent Polish crew Martin Prokop and Viktor Chytk Ford Raptor also moved up a place to sixth.

T1.2 4x2 leaders, South African Brian Baragwanath and Leonard Cremer’s Factory Century CR6-T lost several minutes early in the day to tumble back to 27th. They fought back to 12th to move up a position to seventh overall as Romain Dumas’ Toyota GR Hilux was delayed. 

Second in T1.2, Wi Han and Wei Li’s SMG in eighth overall is under pressure from sixth on Friday, Mathieu Serradori and Loic Minaudier’s second SA-built Factory Century, with Juan Yacopini and Daniel Oliveira’s Hilux tenth. Daniel Schröder and SA navigator Ryan Bland’s SA-built Red-Lined VK50 leads the T1.1 amateur class ahead of sand master Thomas Bell and SA man Gerhard Schutte’s similar car.

Mathieu Serradori - in the hunt

BIKES: TIGHT AT THE TOP!

All eyes were on the overall top three factory riders: American Skyler Howes’ Husqvarna and KTM duo, former winners, Aussie Toby Price, and Argentine Kevin Benavides. Price led Benavides with Howes down in eleventh. Honda rider Ignacio Cornejo however led Benavides and Price, with Howes up to fifth at the final waypoint, but there was a bit of a shake-up in the final sector.

Skyler Howes

While Cornejo held on for the day win, Daniel Sanders’ GasGas appeared out of nowhere to end second ahead of Price, his KTM teammate Matthias Walkner who also came from outside the top ten, Benavides and Howes. Which saw Price into a mere 28 second overall lead from Howes, with Benavides 2 minutes 40 adrift in third. Honda duo Pablo Quintanilla and Adrien Benavides are 15 minutes behind.

Of the Southern Africans, Botswana’s double ‘23 stage winner Ross Branch’s Hero ended tenth but sits 29th overall after his week 1 issues. SA hero Michael Docherty’s amateur R2 class FK Husqvarna was 16th on the day to move up to 17th overall and retain his strong rookie lead. Teammate Charan Moore was 32nd to close his Malle Moto second place deficit down to two and a half minutes.

Toby Price

Malle Moto Original is considered the ultimate Dakar class. Riders race without any backup and must service their own machines out of an army-sized chest. Two more South Africans, Malle Moto regular Stuart Gregory is 66th overall and tenth in Malle Moto, lady heroine Kirsten Landman was 75th overall and 12th in Malle Moto. South African rookie Stevan Wilken was 75th overall.

Ignacio Casale beat Guilaume de Mevius and overall leader Austin Jones to Friday’s T3 side-by-side prototype win. SA rookie leaders Eben Basson and Abertus Pienaar were seventh on the day and seventh overall. 12th overall, SA lads Geoff Minnitt and Gerhard Snyman were in 20th on Friday. Michal Goczal beat overall leader Rokas Baciuska, Marek and second overall, Eryk Goczal to the T4 side by side win.

Runaway overall quad leader Alexandre Giroud lost 26 minutes as Marcelo Medeiros beat Juraj Varga and Giovanni Enrico to the Day 12 win. And overall leaders Janus van Kasteren, Darek Rodewald and Marcel Snijder’s Iveco took the Friday win from third overall and second man Martin Macik’s similar trucks.

Just 290 kilometres and two days remain of Dakar 2023, with 154 of those through the dunes from Shaybah to Al Hofuf on Saturday. 

Words: Motorsport Media

https://bit.ly/3ZCV4nY

Colin-on-Cars - Showdown in the desert

Dakar 2023 continued to deliver epic action as competitors fought on through the Arabian Desert on Thursday. 9-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb continued to pile on the pressure through Day 11 as he took his fourth stage win on the trot. Car leader Nasser Al Attiyah however held strong up front as South African cars dominate. It was a game of cat and mouse in a tight bike race.

Thursday’s 274 km run into the literal middle of nowhere across the Empty Quarter’s dunes and dried up pans served as the first part of Dakar 2023’s two-day no service marathon stage. Which meant that crews took it relatively easy as they headed to their secret, isolated overnight desert bivouac.

It's Loeb (top) versus Al-Attiyah in the desert duel

CARS: NASSER SOAKS UP LOEB’S PRESSURE

In the hope of pressurising the leading Toyotas into a problem, Loeb and Fabian Lurquin continued to push flat out up front in their Prodrive Factory Hunter. Shadowed by Guerlain Chicherit’s similar Prodrive machine, and Mattias Ekstrom’s surviving Audi RS Q e-Tron quattro, their pace was relentless.

Fourth home, Brazilian rookie sensation Lucas Moraes and Timo Gottschalk did enough to keep ahead of the flying Loeb in second overall. Their dice for second should prove epic as the race winds down towards Sunday’s finish. Loeb took six minutes out of Moraes on the day, to cut his overall deficit to second overall to under ten minutes. 

Behind Moraes, overall leaders Al-Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel consolidated their handy hour and 21-minute overall lead with fifth on the day in their Toyota Gazoo Racing Hilux DKR T1+. They came home ahead of two more GR Toyota Hiluxes, SA teammates Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings and Yazeed Al Rajhi, and best of the 4x2s, Mathieu Serradori’s SA-built Century CR6-T.

Henk Lategan

There’s no change in the top five cars overall as Al Attiyah continues to lead Moraes, Loeb, Lategan and SA legend Giniel De Villiers. Martin Prokop is up to sixth in his Ford Raptor, from former Le Mans winner Romain Dumas in another GR Hilux. SA duo Brian Baragwanath and Leonard Cremer still lead T1.2 4x2’s in their Century CR6-T.

Runaway amateur T1.1 overall leaders, Daniel Schröder and SA notes man Ryan Bland’s PS Laser Red-Lined VK50 held a strong advantage class on the road with Thomas Bell and SA navigator Gerhard Schutte’s similar machine in hot pursuit. This means that South African designed, built and developed machinery continues to lead three of Dakar’s four car classes.

BIKES: CAT & MOUSE UP FRONT

It was another day of cat and mouse in the bikes. Overall leaders, Skyler Howes’ Husqvarna and KTM duo Toby Price and Kevin Benavides are duking it out for the Dakar 2023 win. Price was fourth on the day from Howes in fifth, with Benavides five minutes behind in 11th. That was enough to see Howes back into a 28 second lead from Price with overnight leader Benavides third, two minutes and 44 seconds adrift.

Luciano Benavides (top) and Toby Price

Sixth overall, brother Luciano Benavides took his third stage win of the year on his Husqvarna from seventh man Daniel Sanders’ GasGas, Price, Howes; fourth overall Pablo Quintanilla’s Honda and Sebastian Bühler’s Hero. Fifth overall, Adrien van Beveren languished in 17th after being the second bike to open the road. Wednesday’s winner, Botswana’s Ross Branch also struggled to 19th.

Third to set off, rookie bike leader, SA hero Michael Docherty rode home 16th overall and second in amateur R2 on his FK Husqvarna. Compatriot and teammate Charan Moore had a tough day to 48th as he slipped to second in no service Malle Moto overall. SA trio, Stuart Gregory was 68th to move up to 8th in Malle Moto, Rookie Stevan Wilken was 81st and Iron Lady Kirsten Landman 86th.

Joao Ferreira led the T3 side-by-side prototypes from Mitch Guthrie, after leader Guilaume de Mevius hit trouble. That allowed Red Bull duo Austin Jones to move ahead of Seth Quintero overall. SA duo Geoff Minnitt and Gerhard Snyman’s HBE Can Am sat 14th while rookie leaders Eben Basson and Abertus Pienaar were 22nd in their GR Rally.

Local hero Yasir Seaidan led South Can Am teammate Cristiano Batista and overall leader Rokas Baciuska in the T4 side by sides. Marcelo Medeiros took quad honours from overall top two Alexandre Giroud and Moreno Flores. And Dutch Iveco trio, Martin and Mitchel van den Brink sandwiched overall truck leader Janus van Kasteren on the road. 

Friday’s 185 km second half of the marathon stage is another sandy, pan and dune filled day back to service at Shaybah. Before two more days to the finish on Sunday. 

Words: Motorsport Media

https://bit.ly/3iyRJFD

Colin-on-Cars - Al-Attiyah still on top

Dakar 2023’s opening week has been a stunning success for South African men and machines, with incredible results across all categories. SA-built cars lead three of Dakar’s four car categories to the traditional midway rest day, as South African riders led the way among the two wheelers too.

Nasser Al-Attiyah

2022 car winners, Qatari Nasser Al-Attiyah and navigator Mathieu Baumel’s Gazoo Racing Hilux leads a proudly South African built Toyota 1-2-3 overall. Five SA Hiluxes occupy the top six after the first half of the race. South Africans, Brian Baragwanath and Leonard Cremer’s Century also leads the T1.2 4x2 class. German Daniel Schröder and his South African navigator, Ryan Bland,  also lead the amateur T1.1 4x4 car class in their South African built PS Red-Lined VK50 .

Sunday was a red letter day for Southern Africans on two wheels too. Botswana star Ross Branch stormed to victory amongst the bikes. SA rookie Michael Docherty was sixth to take the day in the amateur R2 class and slash his rookie class second overall to just five minutes behind leader Neels Theric. 33rd overall, Charan Moore took yet another Malle Moto win to consolidate his lead in the no service class.

Ross Branch

CARS: SOUTH AFRICAN DOMINATION

Navigation and opening the road up front appeared difficult on Sunday. Saturday’s car top five languished well down the order at mid distance. 31st place starters Carlos Sainz Sr. and Lucas Cruz’ Audi RS Q e-Tron led the way from overall leader Al Attiyah, and Sebastien Loeb in his Prodrive Hunter. Loeb later overtook Al Attiyah for second. 

Sainz’ woes continued as a speeding penalty cost him an almost certain stage win. Loeb therefore won the stage ahead of Al Attiyah and penalty-stricken veteran, Carlos Sainz Sr. in third. SA duo Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings were fourth as top ten runners, Romain Dumas and Max Delfino Dumas ended ninth, with Baragwanath 20th and Giniel de Villiers and Dennis Murphy’s Gazoo Hilux 21st.

So, Al Attiyah leads a Toyota 1-2-3 by an hour from Lategan and rookie Moraes. Loeb has clawed back to fourth, seconds clear of de Villiers. Le Mans winner Dumas makes it five SA Hiluxes in the top six from Martin Prokop’s Ford Raptor in seventh and Baragwanath and Cremer’s SA-built Century that leads the T1.2 4x2 class in eighth overall.  Schröder and Bland’s SA Red-Lined also leads the amateur T1.1 4x4s. 

Looking back at the first week, the petrol-electric Audis hit the ground running. WRC legend Sainz took both the prologue and day 1 in the Audi. Al-Attiyah then won Day 2 as Sainz stayed ahead overall. Guerlain Chicherit’s Hunter took Day 3 as Attiyah in 13th moved into a lead he would not relinquish. Loeb then bounced back from his trouble the previous day to win on Wednesday.

Al Attiyah then consolidated his lead with double wins Thursday and Friday. Toyota GR Hilux duo, Saudi hero Yazeed Al Rajhi and Dirk van Zitzewitz hit back from a horrid week to win on Saturday before Loeb benefited from Sainz’ penalty to take a second win on Sunday.

Of the pros, Serradori sits 12th, Al Rajhi provisionally 17th, Prodrive trio Chicherit in 16th, Vaidotas Zala 39th and Orlando Terranova has retired. Sainz’ progress is scant reward after Dakar’s first week was particularly cruel to the highly vaunted petrol electric Audi team. He sits 37th overall with Ekstrom struggling and Stephane Peterhansel out after a disastrous first week.

Henk Lategan

BIKES: SA HEROES BRANCH, DOCHERTY, MOORE WIN

Sunday was also splendid for Southern Africa on two wheels. Botswana’s Ross Branch put a torrid first week behind him to take a storming win on his Hero. He ended a minute and 33 seconds clear of Mason Klein’s KTM, Daniel Sanders’ GasGas, Pablo Quintanilla and Adrien van Beveren’s Hondas, and SA rookie and R2 amateur class winner, Michael Docherty on his FK Husqvarna.

Branch and Docherty were in the mix from early Sunday, with Ross second behind Klein, and ahead of Sanders and Docherty. Branch moved into the lead as Pro riders, van Beveren on a Honda and Hero man Seb Bühler moved past Docherty as the morning wore on, but Iron Mike fought back to end sixth. 

South Africa’s no service Malle Moto Original class leader Charan Moore meanwhile enjoyed another productive ride to 33rd overall. Compatriots, Malle Moto duo Stuart Gregory was 80th, rookie Stevan Wilken 86th, and Iron Lady heroine Kirsten Landman 89th.

Kirsten Landman

The bike race has delivered exceptional racing with eight winners in eight days of racing. Toby Price’s KTM took the prologue before Ricky Brabec won day 1 on his Honda and then Klein took Monday’s race to lead overall. Sanders won on Tuesday, as Joan Barreda’s Honda then took Wednesday ‘s win as Sanders led overall.

Adrien van Beveren won Day 6 as the consistent American Skyler Howes took the overall lead on his Husqvarna. His teammate Luciano Benavides took Friday’s win as Howes stayed ahead overall. Saturday’s bike race was cancelled, before Branch made it 8 out of 8. Klein moved a mere 40 seconds clear of Howes overall, with Benavides, Price, Quintanilla, and van Beveren within 5 minutes of the lead.

Michael Docherty got off to a flying start early in the week, mixing it up with the pros up front, before struggling a little on the tough third and fourth days. He regrouped and forged back to second among the rookies. A fired up Sunday run saw him back up front to end sixth as he climbed to a provisional 21st overall at the rest day.

Charan Moore took control of Malle Moto from the get-go, winning the no service class on the prologue and four of the first seven days to emerge a comfortable original leader on Friday before Saturday’s stage was cancelled. 33rd on Sunday, he won Malle Moto again to sit 31st overall. Ross Branch suffered a dreadful midweek, before winning on Sunday to claw back to 35th overall.

Although exhausted by Friday, amateur SA Malle Moto duo Stuart Gregory and Kirsten Landman starred throughout. They sit 10th and 12th in the no service class, and 68th and 77th overall. Rookie Stevan Wilken had a clean run until a fall on Friday, but he bounced back to 80th overall.

Dakar has also been cruel to the bikers. 2022 winner Sam Sunderland and SA amateur Bradley Cox crashed out on Day 1. Sunday winner Brabec went out Monday and Hero rider Joaquim Rodriguez was one of ten bike retirements on Thursday. Sherco pro Rui Goncalves went out Friday, while Dakar has not been kind to troubled Hero duo Branch and Seb Bühler, among others.

Michael Docherty

EPIC ACTION IN ALL DAKAR CLASSES

Elsewhere, Christina Gutierrez Herrero took the T3 side-by-side prototype prologue. Red Bull teammates Francisco Lopez Contardo won Day 2, Mitch Guthrie day 3 and Austin Jones day 4. Guthrie won Thursday, and Seth Quintero Friday before Guilaume de Mevius broke the Red Bull stranglehold on Friday. Guthrie took a third win on Saturday and Joao Ferreira took the Sunday win.

Overall, de Mevius and Francois Casalet’s GR Racing leads a Red Bull throng of Jones, Quintero and Contardo after form man Guthrie fell well down after several issues. 7th placed  South African crew Eben Basson and Abertus Pienaar enjoyed a strong week to lead the T3 rookies in their GR Rally, with compatriots Geoff Minnitt and Gerhard Snyman 14th in their HBE Can Am.

Rokas Baciuska leads Marek and Eryk Goczal in the T4 side-by-sides. Baciuska won the prologue before teen sensation Eryk Goczal took Day 1 and dad Marek Goczal won Day 2. Cristian Batista won Tuesday, Eryk Goczal Wednesday, and Baciuska took Thursday’s stage. Marek won Friday, Baciuska Saturday, and Jeremias Gonzalez on Sunday. Mozambican Paulo Oliveira and Miguel Alberty sit 26th overall.

Dominant throughout the early days, Frenchman Alexandre Giroud took control of the quads. He then rolled back the throttle to control the pace over Pablo Copetti, Friday winner Moreno Flores, Saturday and Sunday winner Manuel Andujar, and rookie Juraj Varga overall.

Ales Loprais, Petr Pokora and Jaroslav Valr’s Praga leads the trucks overall from Martin van den Brink and Janus van Kasteren’s Ivecos. Martin Macik’s Iveco took the Prologue and Day 1 before Loprais won on Monday. Gert Huznik’s Iveco won on Tuesday before retiring on Wednesday when Macik won again. Loprais, van den Brink, van Kasteren and Macik took the next four stage wins.

Monday’s rest day will bring a much needed recharge to the four-wheeler crews after eight gruelling days of racing, while the bikers will enjoy their second day off in three. The action resumes on Tuesday with a rather different and mainly gravel 358 km long track. Tuesday’s stage will be the ninth of 14 stages to Haradh, where a few dunes will test crews toward the finish. 

Words: Motorsport Media

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