PRETORIA, South Africa, 15 September 2025 – The 2025 South African Rally-Raid Championship (SARRC) reaches a critical juncture as teams prepare for the Outeniqua 400, the fourth round of the season, set for 19-20 September at the scenic Louvain Guest Farm in the Western Cape. Nestled between George and Uniondale, the new venue promises rugged mountainous terrain, testing both driver skill and vehicle endurance.
For the Castrol NWM Ford Team, momentum is building. Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer, who narrowly led the championship before the last round’s double-header, demonstrated remarkable resilience despite a mechanical setback on day one. The duo bounced back on day two, claiming a hard-fought second place, just 78 seconds shy of the winners. Their current tally of 53 points positions them second overall, trailing championship leaders Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet of Toyota Gazoo Racing by just 15 points.
Wors Prinsloo and Andre Vermeulen are also making their mark. Missing the season opener, the pair quickly found rhythm at the Ingco Vaal 400, securing a career-best fourth-place finish—just seven minutes adrift of their teammates. Meanwhile, Brazilian rally-raid specialists Marcos Baumgart and navigator Alberto Andreotti, standing in for the injured Kleber Cincea, continued to adapt to South Africa’s unique terrain. Despite a seven-minute penalty, they brought their NWM Ford Evo Plus home in seventh place, ensuring all three Castrol NWM entries finished inside the top ten. Baumgart now sits on 47 points in the Ultimate FIA T1+ Class Championship.
Reflecting on the team’s progress, Team Principal Neil Woolridge said: “We’ve had a strong start to the season, and the whole team has shown real grit and determination to keep us 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, 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.”
With the championship finely balanced, every point counts. Variawa and Cazalet currently lead both the overall and Ultimate FIA T1+ Class standings, but with only a handful of points separating the top four crews, the title race remains wide open.
Fans are encouraged to attend the Outeniqua 400 to witness the action firsthand, meet the drivers, and get up close with the vehicles. For those unable to attend, live tracking of the crews is available through the RallySafe app, downloadable on iOS and Android devices.
As the SARRC heads into the second half of the season, anticipation is high, and with Louvain Guest Farm introducing fresh challenges, one thing is certain: the fight for the championship is far from over.
