Dirty weekend for rally racers

Heading up the Production Vehicle category and FIA Class will be the three Toyota Gazoo Racing Hilux teams of Henk Lategan/ Brett Cummings, Giniel de Villiers/ Dennis Murphy and Shameer Variawa/Juan Möhr.

Their closest challengers must include Chris Visser/ Danie Stassen (Atlas Copco Toyota Hilux), Johan van Staden/Mike Lawrenson (Elf Renault Duster), Jaco van Dyk/ Michel Rust (Red-Lined Nissan Navara), Schalk Burger/ Elvene Vonk (King Price Extreme Nissan), Ernest Roberts/ Henry Köhne (Red-Lined Nissan Navara), Theuns Joubert/ AN Other (Elf Renault Duster) and Clint Weston/AN Other (King Price Extreme Nissan).

Lance Woolridge/Ward Huxtable (Ford Castrol Ranger) must be the victory favourites in Class T, facing off against Johan/ Werner Horn (Malalane Toyota Hilux) and the Brazilian team of Marcos Baumgart/Kleber Cincea (Ford Castrol Ranger).

Others to watch will be Jacques van Tonder/Sammy Redelinghuys (Ford Ranger), Gary Bertholdt/ Geoff Minnitt (Atlas Copco Toyota Hilux), Jannie Visser/ Danie Maré (Feeler Africa Ford Ranger), Malcolm Kock/ Sean van Staden (Ford Ranger), Wors Prinsloo/ Andre Vermeulen (Ford Ranger) and Richard Leeke Junior/ Simon Vacy-Lyle (ATS Ford Ranger). The Class S leaders, David Huddy/Gerhard Schutte (Hud Nissan Navara) will have competition in the form of Archie Rutherford and his son Kent (Toyota Hilux).

Lance Trethewey/Adriaan Roets (LT Earthmovers BAT) have won every race in Class A of the Special Vehicle category thus far this season, and they must start as the weekend’s logical victory favourites.

Hoping to unseat them will be crews like Taahir and Talha Moosajee (Dunlop Stryker), Rayhaan/ Lais Bodhanya (PSi Trading Jimco), Sandra Labuschagne-Jonck/ Jaco Jonck (Total Agri Porter) and Clint Gibson/Alaric Smith (Dirt Sport Stryker).

In the Side x Side category where all the competitors man Can-Am Maverick vehicles, the Mostert brothers Werner and Leon will start as favourites, challenged by Wickus Haasbroek/ Ju rgens Smith, Christo Rose/Dirk Swart, Markus Labuscagne/Neil Putter and Dewald van Breda/Johann du Toit.

The Bronkhorstspruit 400 will start on Friday at the Soetdoring Function Venue on the outskirts of Bronkhorstspruit where the race headquarters, start/finish and designated service park will be situated.

On Friday, competitors will tackle a 60km qualifying race that will determine the starting order for Saturday’s main race. On Saturday, the first vehicle will be out of the starting blocks at 8am and teams will tackle a 180 km loop.

After completing the loop once, they will return to the service park for a 30 minute compulsory de-control before taking on the loop again at noon. Enthusiasts can get spectator guides from race headquarters at Soetdoring Function Venue where food and refreshments will be available during the weekend.

The Bronkhorstspruit 400 can also be followed on the RallySafe App and can be downloaded free of charge for iOS and Android devices. Maps, standings and event information is available on the app.

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