Double Podium for Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa in South African Rally-Raid Championship Round 3
DOUBLE PODIUM FOR TGRSA IN SARRC ROUND 3
Maiden SARRC win for Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet
3rd overall for Guy Botteril and Oriol Mena
Round 2 results under review
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing South Africa (TGRSA) tackled the critical South African Rally-Raid Championship (SARRC) double-header in Parys this weekend, and while the results from Round 2 of the season remain under review, the team bagged a double-podium in Round 3, including a maiden victory for Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet in the series.
The race weekend saw competitors descend upon the Free State town of Parys, on the banks of the Vaal River. With the Designated Service Points (DSP) and Race HQ at the Stonehenge Lodge, the crews faced two full rounds of the national championship, with a total race distance of nearly 800km. Each round offered a full complement of points, making the double-header a pivotal weekend in the championship battle.
Despite the added pressure, TGRSA's two GR Hilux IMT EVO crews fought bravely throughout the weekend. The results of Friday's second round remain under review, but even so the team had two cars in podium contention throughout the weekend. On Saturday, however, there were no questions asked: TGRSA had not only achieved an overall win thanks to Variawa and co-driver Cazalet, but added a 3rd place finish courtesy to Guy Botterill and co-driver Oriol Mena, who held the hard-charging crews behind them at bay to secure a second podium position for the team.
The terrain around Parys proved to be every bit as tough as expected, with a surprising amount of deep water and mud, despite the mid-winter race weekend. The weather was kind, however, with moderate temperatures and light wind. But out on the stages, the action was as hot as ever, and TGRSA was right at the sharp end throughout the race weekend.
"It was a tough weekend for sure,"
said TGRSA Team Principal, Shameer Variawa, after the race.
"Tactically our crews had to preserve the cars for Round 3, but they not only managed to finish strongly on Round 2, they also secured a double podium the very next day. For the team, there was a huge amount of pressure to ensure the cars were fully prepared for both days - but this is familiar territory to us thanks to our participation in the Dakar Rally, and in the end we are ecstatic with the confirmed results."
While the championship points are yet to be tallied, awaiting confirmation of the results from Round 2, the team is sure to be in a strong position for the remainder of the season. Round 4 is up next, and is scheduled to take place at the Louvain Guest Farm near George in the Western Cape. This is a new race on the calendar, and is set to take place on 19 and 20 September.
