By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
The Auto Magazine
  • Home
  • Auto Shows
    Auto ShowsShow More
    Multifaceted MasterDrive at Simola
    April 24, 2025
    OMODA & JAECOO accelerate 2025 NEV strategy with bold debuts at Auto Shanghai
    April 24, 2025
    GWM Unveils its Global Strategy at Auto Shanghai 2025
    April 24, 2025
    Maserati takes part in Anantara Concorso Roma 2025
    April 23, 2025
    Knysna Motor Show goes Cars@Coffee on 27 April, 2025
    April 20, 2025
  • Bikes
    BikesShow More
    BMW Motorrad presents the new R 18 models
    January 22, 2025
    BMW Motorrad presents the BMW Concept F 450 GS
    November 5, 2024
    BMW Motorrad presents the new bikes
    November 1, 2024
    24YM HONDA NX500
    October 15, 2024
    BMW Motorrad presents the new BMW C 400 GT and BMW C 400 X
    October 15, 2024
  • News
    NewsShow More
    Chery launches LEPAS brand with L8 luxury SUV, ushering in a new premium era
    April 25, 2025
    NADA Applauds Move to Support Stability and Ease Pressure on Consumers
    April 24, 2025
    Automechanika Sub-Saharan Africa Roadshow Expands Automotive Aftermarket Possibilities
    April 24, 2025
    AK47 PROTECTION FOR JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE (WITH WARRANTY INTACT!)
    April 24, 2025
    Ford Silverton Manufacturing Plant Green Initiatives a Step Closer to Carbon Neutrality
    April 23, 2025
  • Concepts
    ConceptsShow More
    Audi unveils Q6 e-tron offroad concept
    January 28, 2025
    CITROEN PRESENTS C5 AIRCROSS CONCEPT
    October 15, 2024
    Lotus Unveils Theory 1:  The Future Of Intelligent Performance
    September 23, 2024
    First sketches of Škoda Enyaq RS Race
    May 3, 2024
    W16 Mistral: the art of bringing Bugatti’s ultimate roadster to life
    January 24, 2024
  • EVs
    EVsShow More
    RANGE ROVER ELECTRIC PROTOTYPES EXCEL IN LATEST WINTER TESTING AND DEVELOPMENT CYCLE
    April 25, 2025
    ELECTRIFIED LUXURY REDEFINED: THE ALL-NEW LEXUS ES
    April 24, 2025
    Volvo EX90 claims World Luxury Car title
    April 17, 2025
    DFSK South Africa rolls out EC35 Electric Panel Van
    April 15, 2025
    The all-new electric G-Class
    April 10, 2025
  • Motosport
    MotosportShow More
    Castrol, NWM, Ford and bp Join Forces for 2025 South African Rally-Raid Championship
    April 25, 2025
    BEHIND THE SCENES WITH GILLY DYKES: DUST, GRIT AND DETERMINATION
    April 24, 2025
    Fouriesburg Rally Shifts to Spring
    April 23, 2025
    TOYOTA GAZOO RACING JUNIOR ACADEMY EYES MORE GLORY AT ROTAX NATIONAL ROUND 2
    April 23, 2025
    FINAL COUNTDOWN COMMENCES FOR SOUTH AFRICAN SAFARI RALLY
    April 22, 2025
  • Trucks & Buses
    Trucks & BusesShow More
    HINO ONCE AGAIN ANSWERS FARMERS’ CALL FOR HELP
    April 24, 2025
    Daimler Truck Southern Africa appoints Wolf Edmayr as the General Manager of TruckStore
    March 28, 2025
    ISUZU Motors South Africa Celebrates 60 Years of Isuzu Trucks in South Africa
    March 3, 2025
    Itumeleng Segage, General Manager of Hino South Africa
    HINO SCORES MORE THAN 99% IN ALL FOUR CUSTOMER CARE SURVEY CATEGORIES
    February 5, 2025
    UD TRUCKS SOUTHERN AFRICA DEEPENS ITS COMMITMENT
    January 28, 2025
  • Reviews
    ReviewsShow More
    Tow Like a Pro with the Ford Ranger
    April 10, 2025
    MEET THE ALL-NEW LEXUS GX: A PREMIUM OFF-ROADER REIMAGINED
    April 8, 2025
    Aston Martin Vanquish Volante: The world’s fastest, most powerful front-engine convertible
    March 29, 2025
    The legend grows: introducing the Toyota Hilux Hybrid 48v and GR SPORT II
    March 29, 2025
    THE ALL-NEW GWM P300 – BRING IT ON!
    March 3, 2025
  • Tech
    TechShow More
    Chery unveils AiMOGA: Revolutionising the car-buying experience through intelligent robotics
    April 24, 2025
    Volvo Cars uses AI and virtual worlds with the aim to create safer cars
    March 21, 2025
    Chery drives AI innovation with DeepSeek partnership
    March 3, 2025
    Stellantis Unveils STLA AutoDrive
    February 20, 2025
    Mercedes-Benz and Google Partner on AI-powered Conversational Search within Navigation Systems
    January 14, 2025
Hot News
Chery launches LEPAS brand with L8 luxury SUV, ushering in a new premium era
RANGE ROVER ELECTRIC PROTOTYPES EXCEL IN LATEST WINTER TESTING AND DEVELOPMENT CYCLE
Castrol, NWM, Ford and bp Join Forces for 2025 South African Rally-Raid Championship
Multifaceted MasterDrive at Simola
ELECTRIFIED LUXURY REDEFINED: THE ALL-NEW LEXUS ES
Latest News

Mahindra is SA’s fastest growing brand, again

Motosport

Porsche 963 returns to the stage of its maiden race win

Latest News

GWM’s Sales Soar to New Heights in November, Notching an Impressive 40.30% Year-on-Year Growth

Seen at the handover of the latest Hino 700 truck-tractor to JKK Transport at Hino Pietermaritzburg were (from left) Vivek Orie, New Vehicle Sales Manager at Hino Pietermaritzburg; Itumeleng Segage, General manager at Hino SA; Eurico Stork, Eurico of JKK Transport; and Pretesh Singh, Dealer Principal at Hino Pietermaritzburg.
Interviews

FROM TRUCK TECHNICIAN TO FLEET OWNER: EURICO’S INSPIRING JOURNEY

Font ResizerAa
The Auto MagazineThe Auto Magazine
  • Home
  • Auto Shows
  • Bikes
  • News
  • Concepts
  • EVs
  • Motosport
  • Trucks & Buses
  • Reviews
  • Tech
Search
  • Home
  • Auto Shows
  • Bikes
  • News
  • Concepts
  • EVs
  • Motosport
  • Trucks & Buses
  • Reviews
  • Tech
Follow US
Crafted by Intellegere Media. © 2024 The Auto Magazine. All rights reserved.
Motosport

DEMANDING ROUTE RECCE SETS HIGH BAR FOR SOUTH AFRICAN SAFARI RALLY COMPETITORS 

Itumeleng Garebatshabe
Last updated: April 14, 2025 17:21
By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
32 Views
5 Min Read
Share
5 Min Read
SHARE

At the core of any rally-raid event is the race route, and the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) tests crews and vehicles on some of the toughest terrain around the globe. For the inaugural South African Safari Rally (SASR), brought to you by Toyota Gazoo Racing, the international and local competitors can look forward to a challenging and exciting route that will showcase some of the country’s spectacular landscapes, while demanding strength, endurance, speed and agility from the drivers, navigators and cars, as well as the riders and motorcycles that will take on the challenge from 18-24 May 2025.

The event will be based at the Sun City resort in the North West Province of South Africa, and is set to deliver an enthralling spectacle for motorsport enthusiasts while pushing teams to the limit in the search for glory.

The organising team has been planning, scouting and refining the South African Safari Rally (SASR) race route for almost a year. This culminated in the full event reconnaissance, finalisation and mapping of the route taking place in March and April this year with SASR route director Evan Hutchison, along with the team from Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) – the promoter of the FIA (Fédération Internationale Automobile) and FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) World Rally Raid Championship.

“We left Johannesburg on 17 March and returned on 1 April after covering 4,270 km through some of the most challenging terrain I have ever encountered,” said Hutchison, a multiple South African rally-raid champion with decades of experience in the sport, and several years as route director for the local championship. “We didn’t traverse well-travelled sand roads and routes. We opted for rough, uncharted terrain chosen to challenge the most capable off-road cars and motorcycles in the world. Thick bush, rocky sections and river beds were the norm, and this is what competitors can look forward to for the South African Safari Rally.”

The route reconnaissance team relied on a pair of Toyota Hilux 4x4s equipped with all the gear and accessories required to complete this arduous job. “Most importantly, we fitted Falken WildPeak M/T 265/70 R17 mud-terrain tyres on both Hiluxes,” Hutchison said. “Rugged and durable tyres are the most important feature when driving off-road, as punctures and sidewall damage are the norm on a trip like this.” Falken Tyres is the sponsor of the Prologue for all of the races in the 2025 South African Rally-Raid Championship (SARRC), so it was a natural fit for the company to provide the tyres for this crucial route reconnaissance.

“First of all, the vehicles were faultless, which is not surprising as Toyota has a well-proven reputation for conquering Africa’s toughest terrain,” Hutchison said. “However, the most incredible fact from the trip is that we never had any tyre issues, completing a combined 8,540 km on the two vehicles without a single puncture. If you have ever done off-road driving in this kind of terrain, you will understand how impressive this is.

“With all of the rain we’ve had recently in this part of South Africa, we encountered a lot of mud and got stuck numerous times during the recce. Without a capable mud-terrain tyre like the Falken WildPeak M/T I have no doubt that we would have been stuck a lot more, and wasted a significant amount of time and energy extricating ourselves from these difficult conditions,” Hutchison said.

Although the crews can expect drier weather when the South African Safari Rally kicks off with the Prologue on Monday 19 May, followed by five tough stages set across the North West Province over the ensuing days, there’s no doubt it will be a demanding test for competitors and vehicles every step of the way.

The closing date for South African Safari Rally entries is 30 April 2025.

TAGGED:South African Safari RallySun City ResortTOYOTA GAZOO RacingWorld Rally-Raid Championship

Sign Up For Daily Newsletter

Stay Updated! Get the latest breaking news delivered straight to your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Share This Article
Facebook Whatsapp Whatsapp LinkedIn VKontakte Telegram Email Copy Link Print
Share
ByItumeleng Garebatshabe
Editor
Follow:
Itumeleng is the Managing Editor of The Auto Magazine. He is a tech and car enthusiast

Follow US

FacebookLike
XFollow
InstagramFollow
YoutubeSubscribe
TiktokFollow
TelegramFollow
Google NewsFollow
LinkedInFollow

You Might Also Like

Motosport

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing with three Hypercar rookies in Bahrain

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
November 6, 2023
Motosport

New circuit challenge for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
April 15, 2024
Motosport

DAKAR ROOKIES SHINE FOR TOYOTA GAZOO Racing

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
January 23, 2024
Motosport

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing launches 2024 WRC challenge at iconic opener

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
January 19, 2024
Motosport

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Presentsits 2024 motorsport team setups in Japan

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
December 12, 2023
Motosport

Lategan/Cummings win Dakar Stage 8; extend lead for TGR

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
January 14, 2025

The Auto Magazine

  • Advertise
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookie Policy
  • Bikes
  • Electric Vehicles
  • Trucks & Buses
  • Auto Shows
  • Latest News
  • Motosport

Crafted by Intellegere Media. All rights reserved. 2024

Don't not sell my personal information
Join Us!
Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss our latest news, podcasts etc.

Zero spam, Unsubscribe at any time.
adbanner