The VAPS HCV Vryheid 400, the fourth and penultimate round of the 2026 SA Rally-Raid Championship got underway on Friday, 9 Octoberand the Qualifying Race as well as Stage One not only delivered its fair share of exciting action, but also heartbreak and disappointment.
As the technical teams got to work to prepare the vehicles for the second race day, the teams reflected on the completed100 kilometres and planned their strategies for the final day.
The first day of the VAPS HCV Vryheid 400 consisted of a 17-kilometre Qualifying Race that determined the starting order forStage One where teams had to take on a tough and demanding 79 kilometres route where tricky navigation and tactical racing played an important role in the outcome of the results.
The short qualifying section was won by Lance Woolridge and Andre Vermeulen, who deputised for the injured Mike Lawlor and sonLuke, and posted the fastest time of 14 minutes 27 seconds in the Castrol NWM Ford Evo Plus. They were followed eight seconds later by Saood Variawa/Charan Moore (Toyota Gazoo Racing Hilux IMT EVO) who adopted a cautious approach, and team-mates, Guy Botterill/HenryKöhne (14:49) who had a clean run.
The second of the three Castrol NWM Ford Evo Plus in the hands of Danie Ludick and stand-in navigator, Adriaan Roets posted thefourth best times (15 minutes), but their team-mates and the winners of the 2025 event, Gareth Woolridge/Boyd Dreyer, who are still in the title race, damaged their vehicle significantly after they hit a stump and a concrete pole resulting in the team notbeing able to finish the qualifier.
With the first four teams fighting it out in Ultimate FIA T1+, three teams in Ultimate SA T1+ finished the short race in theoverall top 10. Johan and Sean van Staden (Red-Lined Revo T1+) were fifth overall (15:31) followed by Jayden Els/Johann Swemmer (Century Racing CR6-T 2WD) who changed classes from FIA T1+ (15:34) while Philip Botha/Andries Mynhardt (Red-Lined Revo T1+) andlocked in the title battle with the Van Staden duo, finished ninth (16:12).
The rest of the top 10 were completed by young lady driver, Puck Klaassen and experienced Danie Stassen, with Klaassen tacklingher first outing in the powerful #TeamHilux Rally-Raid Toyota DKR Hilux. They were seventh (15:38) followed by the German driver, Daniel Schröder and Juan Möhr (WCT VW Amarok) (15:51) while Peet Victor/Vanzyl Jonck (VAPS HCV Rally-Raid VK50) leading the AdventurerClass (16:30) finished 10th overall.
The leading 10 teams drew for their start positions for Stage One with Els/Swemmer having to open the road followed by Ludick/Roets;Klaassen/Stassen; Botterill/Köhne and Variawa/Moore with Woolridge/Vermeulen off in sixth.
Stage One proved to be a really tough and tricky test and teams had to keep their wits about them to ensure they reach the finishin one piece. In the end it was Botterill/Köhne who came out tops with their combined times (01:05:43) putting them in the lead after the first day a mere 14 seconds ahead of their team-mates, Variawa/Moore in second place.
Schröder/Möhr moved up to third place (01:08:00) followed by Klaassen/Stassen (01:10:52), while competing with this vehicle wasa new experience for the lady who was happy with the outcome of the first day.
Els/Swemmer had no brakes halfway into the stage but pushed on to complete the day in fifth place (01:11:27) and leading UltimateSA T1+. There is, however, not much between the three leading teams in this class with the Van Staden family finishing a scant two seconds behind the youngsters in sixth place while Botha/Mynhardt were only 21 seconds further adrift in seventh place.
There were problems for the Woolridge/Vermeulen team who could not complete the stage while there was worse luck for Gareth Woolridgeand Dreyer, who started the stage from the back of the field. A public road accident saw them being held up for more than 15 minutes and when they got going again, they found themselves facing a closed gate as farmers thought all the vehicles had passed through!
Adapted time sheets put the pair in eighth place (01:12:07) and the team will have their work cut out for them on the final day.
They will start the second day just ahead of team-mates, Ludick/Roets, who lost time with a flat tyre 10 kilometres before thefinish with their total time five seconds slower than the former champions. The young Dutch driver, Pim Klaassen and lady navigator, Sasha Siripanyavuthi, were having a good first outing in the DaklaPack Rallysport Red-Lined Revo T1+ GTR and finished the dayin 10th place overall (01:13:03), seventh in Ultimate FIA T1+.
The battle continued in the Adventurer Class with the class leaders, Victor/Jonck, still leading and finishing in 11thoverall (01:15:57) while their VAPS HCV Rally-Raid team-mates, Tyler Botha/Kyle Lotter, all competing with the Red-Lined VK50, are 14th (01:20:05) and third in class. The two teams sandwiched Nielen Marx/Rikus Hattingh in 13th (01:19:34),just ahead of the Olivier duo, Abrie and Iaan Olivier (01:17:55) who finished fourth in Ultimate SA T1+ despite receiving a time penalty for deviating from the route.
The VAPS HCV Vryheid 400 continues on Saturday with teams taking on Stages Two and Three comprising approximately 175 kilometreseach. All the action takes place from the Vryheid Airfield where the Race Headquarters, the Start/Finish as well as the Designated Service Point (DSP) are situated while the final podium ceremonies will also take place here.
Spectators and enthusiasts can follow the race via the RallySafe App with various vantage points along the route or on Facebook: @sarallyraidchampionship;Instagram: @sarallyraidchampionship;Tik Tok: @sarallyraid and YouTube: @SouthAfricanRallyRaidSARRC