The Toyota Kalahari Botswana 1000 Desert Race this weekend is an event that brings an entire country to a virtual standstill, and can lay claim to being the biggest motorsport extravaganza in Southern Africa.
This year the race celebrates its 25th anniversary under the Toyota banner and features round three of the Donaldson Cross Country Championship, as well rounds of the South African Cross Country Motorcycle and Quad Racing Championships and the Botswana National Off Road Championship. It is the first time since 2013 the SA Motorcycle and Quad Championship and Botswana series have competed on the same stage, and local motorsport fans and those from surrounding territories will flock to the biggest sporting and social event on the Botswana calendar.
Enthusiasts will come in their droves to the numerous spectator areas and other vantage points along the route, and designated camping sites will be filled to overflowing. The fans are knowledgeable, do their homework on their favourite drivers and riders and the atmosphere among the crowds is infectious.
Toyota is guarding a record that has not seen them beaten in the Production Vehicle category since 2011. Toyota Gazzo Racing SA crews Anthony Taylor/Dennis Murphy and reigning Donaldson champions, Leeroy Poulter and Rob Howie, who finished fifth on this year Dakar Rally, have been dominant in Toyota Hilux models in recent seasons.
But the Toyota Gazoo Racing SA crews this year face a field brimful of quality and spearheaded by three overseas teams in the FIA Class. Zimbabwean Conrad Rautenbach and Dakar Rally winner Dirk von Zitzewitz make for an interesting pairing in another Toyota Gazoo Racing SA Hilux, with a South American flavour from experienced Brazilian brothers Cristian and Marcos Baumgart.
The brothers will be joined by co-drivers Beco Andreotti and Kleber Cincea in a pair of X Rally Ford Rangers built by Neil Woolridge Motorsport in Pietermaritzburg, and make their second appearance in the Donaldson series this year. Rautenbach has vast rally experience and with von Zitzewitz alongside him are likely to weld into a formidable combination.
There is also no shortage of challengers from the Class T brigade. Chris Visser, now partnered by Ward Huxtable in the NWM Ford Performance Ranger, currently lead the Class T championship by a narrow margin from young North West crew Jason Venter and Vince van Allemann in the 4×4 Mega World Toyota Hilux.
Other Class T crews in the frame include Johan van Staden/Mike Lawrenson (Red-Lined Motorsport Nissan Navara), brothers Johan and Werner Horn (Malalane Toyota Hilux), youngster Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer (NWM Ford Performance Ranger), Gary Bertholdt/Pierre Arries (Atlas Copco VW Amarok) and Christiaan du Plooy who will be partnered in the RFS Amarok by former winner Japie Badenhorst. A major incentive for the Class T runners is lowering the colours of the FIA contingent.
A cosmopolitan field has also been assembled in the Special Vehicle category. The mix includes an Australian, a Botswana crew who are certain to attract a fanatical home crowd following and the current Class P champion who hails from Swaziland.
Australian Dave McShane will be sharing the Fox Racing Porter with South African co-driver Leander Pienaar, while Botswana pair Keith du Toit and Robbie Coetzee (White Star Racing BAT) and Swaziland’s John Thomson, with co-driver Maurice Zermatten (Zarco Magnum), will be looking to emulate 2013 performances. Du Toit, partnered by Keith Solomon, and Thomson/Zermatten finished second and third in the 2013 race.
Reigning champions Evan Hutchison and Danie Stassen (Motorite BAT Viper) and former champions Quintin and Kallie Sullwald (Motorite BAT Venom) will carry most of the bookmaker money in the Special Vehicle category. But again there is no shortage of challengers and former winners Mark Corbett/Juan Mohr (Century Racing CR5), Jimmy Zahos/Zaheer Bodhanya (Cobalt Racing Stryker), Sarel van Biljon and Phillip Herselman (Atlas Copco BAT) and McShane and Pienaar will all fancy their chances.
In the motorcycle category the hopes of a nation will be on two Botswana riders whose experience in desert conditions could bring home the silverware. Both Ross Branch (Brother Leader Tread KTM) and Vincent Crosby (KTM) competing in OR1 (Open Class) in the SA National Cross Country Championship, and have the potential to walk away with the overall laurels.
Crosby has just returned from Morocco where he competed in the Merzouga Rally as part of his preparation for the 2017 Dakar Rally. But when talking about winning overall one has to keep in mind that the sandy conditions will better suit the larger capacity bikes.
Experience and mental fitness also play important roles but one cannot leave the defending OR1 champion, former winner Kenny Gilbert (Kargo Racing Husqvarna) and current class leader out of the picture. The same applies to Michael Pentecost (Proudly Bidvest Yamaha) but it is all about the various class championships.
Here bikes with varying engine capacities and riders compete according to age and gender.
In the quad category both the defending champion, Brian Baragwanath (Proudly Bidvest Yamaha), and Hannes Saaijman (Yamaha) have finished the Dakar Rally. Baragwanath finishing third on the Dakar this year, both have competed in Botswana on various occasions and they will be hard to beat.
Defending Master Class champion, George Twigge (Yamaha), also has Dakar Rally experience from this year. He could throw a spanner in the works but there are many new names in the quad category and unexpected results are on the cards.
Various riders from Botswana are also competing in the South African National Cross Country Championship and their experience in desert conditions could result in them scoring some good results. They include Lepsy Mosope (Kawasaki) in the Senior Class and quad riders Sidney Rankgate (Yamaha) and Motsumi Lekone (Yamaha).
Competitors from Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia and South Africa as well as riders from the United Kingdom, New Zealand and the United States will be in action over the weekend.
A 120 kilometre qualifying race for cars to determine grid potions will be held on June 24 starting at 10:30. The motorcycles and quads will utilise a different route from the cars, and will complete a 50 kilometre time trial scheduled for 13:30.
The cars and the bikes/quads will each complete a ‘south’ loop and ‘east’ loop in the race. The cars will complete the ‘south’ loop on June 25 and the ‘east’ loop on June 26 and vice versa.
The race is spectator friendly with plenty of excellent viewing points on the Mokhomma, Lefoko, Maokane and Sese roads. However, traffic volumes are likely to be high and spectators are urged to exercise extreme caution.
Race headquarters, the start/finish and the designated service point are again located at the Jwaneng Sports Club and adjoining showground facility. Public access to these areas will be controlled, but there is free entry into spectator viewing points along the car and motorcycle/quad routes. (Source: sacrosscountryracing.co.za)
