Championship Battle Intensifies as Castrol NWM Ford Team Gears Up for Outeniqua 400
The 2025 South African Rally-Raid Championship (SARRC) reaches its halfway point as teams gear up for the Outeniqua 400, the pivotal fourth round of the season. Taking place from 19-20 September at the brand-new Louvain Guest Farm, located between George and Uniondale in the scenic Western Cape, the new venue promises demanding mountainous terrain and fresh challenges.
The Castrol NWM Ford Team enters this round with growing momentum and a clear determination to keep their championship campaign on track. Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer, who led the standings before the previous round’s double-header, proved their resilience in the face of adversity. A mechanical issue on the opening day halted their NWM Ford Evo Plus but they responded with a blistering performance the following day, securing second place, just 78 seconds behind the winners.
Woolridge and Dreyer now sit second overall on 53 points, 15 adrift of championship leaders Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet (Toyota Gazoo Racing), who have accumulated 68 points so far this season.
Wors Prinsloo and Andre Vermeulen also delivered a standout performance at the previous race, with Prinsloo recording his best-ever SARRC result. After missing the season opener, the pair hit their stride at the Ingco Vaal 400, claiming a solid fourth place overall, just seven minutes behind their leading teammates.
Brazilian and South American rally-raid champions Marcos Baumgart and navigator Alberto Andreotti, substituting for the injured Kleber Cincea, continued their steady adaptation to the South African terrain. Despite a seven-minute penalty for a rules infringement, they brought their NWM Ford Evo Plus home in seventh place, ensuring all three Castrol NWM entries finished comfortably inside the top 10. Baumgart now sits on 47 points in the Ultimate FIA T1+ Class Championship.
Team Principal Neil Woolridge reflected on the team’s progress: “We’ve had a strong start to the season and the whole team has shown real grit and determination to keep us right in the championship fight. Gareth and Boyd’s pace, Wors achieving his best-ever result, and Marcos settling in well all underline the depth we have across the team. Now the focus shifts to the Outeniqua 400 which is a brand-new event with its own unique challenges. We know it won’t be easy but the confidence and momentum we’ve built give us a solid platform to push harder in the second half of the season,” says Woolridge.
With the standings finely balanced at the midway stage, the title race remains wide open. Although Variawa and Cazalet currently lead both the overall and Ultimate FIA T1+ Class standings, the Castrol NWM Ford Team is well within striking distance. Only a handful of points separate the top four crews, leaving everything still to play for.
Spectators are encouraged to attend and witness top-class racing action, meet their racing heroes, and experience the race vehicles up close. The position of the crews can also be tracked using the RallySafe app which can be downloaded for iOS and Android devices from the relevant app stores.
