The Toyota Gazoo Racing SA (TGRSA) 1000 Desert, the second round of the SA Rally-Raid Championship that takes place this weekend (24 – 26 June) in the Upington area, proved to be quite a challenge for teams in the Special Vehicle Category with cold and wet conditions not making it any easier.
The 43km Pirelli Qualifying Race on Friday morning determined the starting order for the 171km loop in the afternoon with a rutted and rocky, but enjoyable route throwing everything at competitors.
The qualifier was won by former champions, Tim Howes/Gary Campbell in the Class A Time Drew Properties BAT Spec 4 who posted a time of 27 minutes and 12 seconds.
Just over two minutes separated them from Trace Price Moor/Shaun Braithwaite (Tip Top Milk BAT Venom) with LC de Jager/Rikus Hattingh (Porter) rounding off the podium. Geoff Minnitt/Gerhard Snyman (Hydro Power Equipment Can-Am Maverick) led the Class G for Side-by-Sides and were fourth with the defending SxS champions, Cecil and Elardus Larney, fifth.
The qualifying race saw early problems for Werner Mostert and his son, Ian (Moto-Netix Racing Can-Am Maverick SxS) as well as Marko Himmel/Francois Schoonbee (King Price Xtreme Can-Am Maverick), who suffered a broken suspension. The Upington businessman, Willem du Toit and his Botswana navigator, Victor Fincham (Porter) could also not complete the 43km section.
Howes/Campbell then added another good result to their day by posting the fastest time after a clean run on Loop One (171km). Their combined time (02:22:28) put them in the lead of the Special Vehicle Category and Class A. They were followed by Price Moore/Braithwaite (02:27:40) with Sandra Labuschagne-Jonck and husband, Jaco Jonck (KEC Racing BAT Viper), who were ninth after the 43km qualifier, finishing Day One third in Class A and fourth overall (02:37:47). De Jager/Hattingh dropped to fifth overall with a problematic fan.
Minnitt/Snyman are leading the Class G SxS Class and were third overall in the Special Vehicle Category (02:35:30) on Day One after an uneventful day that only included a flat tyre. The Larney brothers finished the day second in Class G SxS and were sixth overall followed by the Mostert father and son team after fighting their way from the back of the field. Glen Theron/Craig Galvin (Can-Am Maverick SxS) finished the first day of their first national race in eighth place.
Lood du Preez/Chris Visser Jnr (Farmers Meat Stryker) struggled during the qualifying race and could not complete Loop One while Du Toit/Fincham as well as Quentin Lessing and Noel Acton (Century Racing CR-T), the only Class P entry who finished sixth after the Pirelli Qualifier, could also not finish.
The TGRSA Desert 1000 will continue on Saturday morning when teams take on the same 171km loop which they have to complete twice. All the action takes place from the Upington Show Grounds with good vantage points along the route.
On Sunday, two more loops await the teams before this epic marathon race finishes at the showgrounds.
Images: Andre Schoeman
