PIETERMARITZBURG, South Africa, 1 November 2023 – The South African Rally-Raid Championship (SARRC) is ready for a mighty showdown at the seventh and remaining spherical of the 2023 season, with the Neil Woolridge Motorsport (NWM) Ford Castrol staff of Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer (#277) main the cost in each the Production Vehicle and Class T1+ standings.
Having scored two race wins and a complete of 5 podium finishes from six occasions this yr, the younger crew has set the tempo and been a mannequin of consistency regardless of the most important onslaught from their rivals. Hence, all eyes might be on the extreme motion because it unfolds at the grand finale, the Waterberg 400, which is ready to happen within the Thabazimbi space of the Limpopo province on 10 and 11 November 2023.
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What to count on at Waterberg 400
In the Production Vehicle championship, it’s a two-horse race between Gareth and Toyota’s Guy Botterill with 17 factors separating the drivers. The third and fourth-placed Toyota crews of Henk Lategan and Giniel de Villiers are out of rivalry for the general championship, as they’re 33 and 35 factors adrift of Gareth, respectively, with 30 factors accessible for a race win, 23 for second and 18 for third place.
The problem for Class T1+ glory might be a three-way tussle because of the further 5 factors awarded for beginning every race, and Lategan being dominated out of the ultimate race because of the shoulder harm he incurred at the earlier occasion in Welkom. Gareth at present leads Botterill by 17 factors, with De Villiers 30 factors adrift of the NWM Ford Castrol driver.
In the navigators championship, Boyd Dreyer goes into the ultimate spherical with the general Production Vehicle title already within the bag, as he has a 33-point benefit over Lategan’s co-driver, Brett Cummings. In the Class T1+ battle, the margin is 27 factors to Cummings and 30 factors to Dennis Murphy who navigates for De Villiers.
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“It has been an amazing year for Gareth and Boyd, and they’ve performed brilliantly throughout the season which has put them in the prime position going into the final race,” says Neil Woolridge, NWM Ford Castrol staff principal. “We have no doubt that our rivals will be on the attack at the Waterberg 400, but we are fully prepared and ready to give it everything as we aim for the overall Production Vehicle and Class T1+ championship titles.”
NWM Ford Castrol team-mates Lance Woolridge and Kenny Gilbert (#234) have endured a difficult season with three non-finishes, however they’ve additionally proven race-winning potential on a number of events throughout their first yr collectively. They completed a formidable second at the robust 1 000 km Botswana Desert Race, and have been in rivalry for a podium end result at the earlier occasion till they picked up suspension harm at the identical ditch that finally caught out Lategan.
Lance is at present sixth within the total Production Vehicle championship with a very good likelihood to maneuver as much as fifth place at the Waterberg occasion, as he’s simply six factors behind Eben Basson (Toyota). It’s the same story in Class T1+ the place Lance is 5 factors behind fifth-placed Gary Bertholdt (Toyota).
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Kenny is seventh within the total navigators championship, however a mere six factors separate him from fifth place. In Class T1+ he’s 5 factors behind Henry Kohne and 19 factors off fourth-placed Simon Vacy-Lyle, so it’s all to play for at the season finale.
Unfortunately, the privateer NWM Ford Ranger T1+ staff of Wors Prinsloo and Andre Vermeulen gained’t be competing at the Waterberg 400 because of different commitments, however there might be a 3rd T1+ NWM Ranger on the beginning line.
Spaniards Daniel Alonso and Alejandro Lopez have entered the SARRC Waterberg 400, having simply taken supply of their brand-new T1+ Ranger from Neil Woolridge Motorsport. They have upgraded from the previous-generation T1 Ranger and might be utilizing the native occasion as a testing session to familiarize themselves with the brand new automotive.
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Race programme
According to the SARRC race organisers, the Waterberg 400 would be the first time it hosts a race on this area of the Limpopo province, making it a stage taking part in subject for all the opponents. The race and designated service park (DSP) might be primarily based at the Koedoeskop Laerskool, located on the R511 roughly 35km from the city of Northam, which boasts the world’s deepest platinum mine.
The motion will start on Friday 10 November with a ceremonial begin at Koedoeskop Laerskool at 12:30, adopted by a 15km liaison part in the direction of Northam to the place to begin of the 59km Pirelli Qualifying Race.
On Saturday opponents will face two 178km race loops, beginning at 08:00 and separated by a compulsory 30-minute service cease at the DSP. The terrain is predicted to be difficult, comprising rocky and tight mountain sections together with bush tracks via surrounding recreation farms.
Fans can comply with all of the motion and observe the place of the crews all through every of the 2023 season’s seven races utilizing the RallySecure app, which may be downloaded freed from cost for iOS and Android gadgets from the related app shops.
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2024 Dakar Rally
Ford Performance is ready to increase its world motorsports effort by competing within the legendary Dakar Rally, one of many hardest off-road competitions on Earth.
The purpose-built, race-ready Ford Ranger will compete within the 2024 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia within the Rally Raid T1+ class. Ford Performance is collaborating in a complete check and improvement program with M-Sport and Neil Woolridge Motorsport to arrange for what is predicted to be a particularly robust problem come January 2024.
For extra information about native and worldwide motorsport occasions, comply with our motorsport web page.
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