Langkloof Valley, Western Cape – September 23, 2025 – Round 4 of the 2025 South African Rally-Raid Championship (SARRC), the Outeniqua 400, tested both man and machine for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing South Africa (TGRSA). Despite a blistering start in the race prologue, the weekend evolved into a lesson in resilience and determination for the team.
Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet set the tone early, posting the fastest time over the 38km prologue by a razor-thin margin of just one second ahead of teammates Guy Botterill and Oriol Mena. Both crews piloted identical GR Hilux IMT Evos, and the strong showing suggested a commanding weekend ahead as the rally began in the picturesque Langkloof Valley, stretching from Oudtshoorn to Uniondale.
Prologue Promise Meets Harsh Reality
Variawa/Cazalet’s blistering pace was, however, just the beginning of a challenging weekend. Early in the stage, they suffered a puncture, then compounded their woes with a soft rollover in a slow corner. While the crew escaped uninjured, the incident cost them 27 minutes and 03 seconds, leaving them 15th overall after Day 1.
Botterill and Mena also faced adversity. A puncture and a navigational error early in the stage cost the duo nearly six minutes, dropping them to seventh place overall, 4 minutes and 46 seconds behind the leaders. The opening day demanded both crews dig deep to salvage the weekend.
Fighting Back on Day 2
Saturday brought two more grueling loops of 178km each, providing an opportunity for redemption. Variawa and Cazalet embraced the challenge, relentlessly setting competitive stage times and climbing steadily through the field. By the day’s end, their perseverance paid off, with the pair posting the fifth-fastest overall time. Crucially, despite the setbacks, Variawa retained enough points to stay atop the championship standings with just two rounds remaining.
“We had such a good prologue, but the rest of the weekend became an exercise in damage limitation following our roll,” said Saood Variawa. “The car was amazing, and we had a lot of pace, so I think we have a clear advantage over the competition. We’re looking forward to the next race, though there are some international duties before then.”
Meanwhile, Botterill and Mena confronted one of the most testing weekends of their careers. Early on, their GR Hilux IMT Evo slid down an embankment into thick foliage, requiring assistance to rejoin the stage and resulting in a 10-hour penalty. Yet the pair displayed remarkable grit, navigating the remainder of the rally with skill and determination to finish 11th overall.
“I’m very proud of the team this weekend,” said TGRSA Team Principal, Shameer Variawa. “It wasn’t an easy outing for us, but despite the challenges, our crews dug deep to fight back and score as many points as possible. In the end, we were disappointed not to be challenging for the win, but happy to leave with solid points in the bag.”
Looking Ahead
The SARRC now moves to its penultimate round in Vryheid, KwaZulu-Natal, on 31 October and 1 November, before concluding in Thabazimbi on 21 and 22 November. For TGRSA, the Outeniqua 400 was a reminder that in rally-raid, pace alone is never enough; resilience, teamwork, and sheer determination remain just as vital to success.
