Guy Botterill and Henry Köhne have made it two wins in a row this season after taking a convincing victory at the Century Racing Outeniqua 400, the third round of the 2026 SA Rally-Raid Championship. The Toyota Gazoo Racing SA crew led from the qualifying race right through to the finish of the two-day event in the Upper-Langkloof, covering the 400-kilometre route in a total time of 05:42:47.
Mother Nature threw everything at competitors over the weekend. Friday started off hot, humid and still, but Saturday brought a complete change with cold conditions, mist and strong winds. The route itself proved to be a proper test of both man and machine, with rocky sections, slippery surfaces and technical stretches that kept drivers on their toes. The recent flooding in the area was still evident as the route wound through the low-level valley and over the mountain passes.
Botterill and Köhne set the pace early on, topping the times in both the 25km qualifying race and the 95km first stage on Friday. They started Saturday's two 152km loops from pole position and, despite a few hard knocks along the way, kept things tidy to avoid the problems that had cost them here last year.
The defending winners, Giniel de Villiers and Dennis Murphy, had to work their way through the field after starting the final day in fifth position. They eventually crossed the line three minutes and 33 seconds behind the leaders to claim second overall and top spot in Ultimate FIA T1+. De Villiers remarked afterwards that the route was particularly rough and expressed relief at making the podium.
Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer secured third overall and rounded out the Ultimate FIA T1+ podium in 05:51:57, leading the Castrol NWM Ford contingent home. The Ford crews, along with De Villiers and Murphy, encountered a large herd of cattle during Friday's opening stage and were given time compensation as a result.
Danie Ludick and Denzil Williamson finished fourth in 05:55:25, while Lance Woolridge and André Vermeulen had to settle for fifth after losing time to two punctures on Saturday, crossing the line in 06:05:51.
Dutch newcomers Michiel Becx and Sander van Barschot were the only other Ultimate FIA T1+ finishers, bringing their Century Racing CR7 home in sixth overall with a time of 06:14:19.
It was a Saturday to forget for the Variawa brothers' Toyota Gazoo Racing squad. Saood Variawa and Charan Moore rolled their vehicle into a shallow water hole after starting the day in fifth place. They were pulled back onto their wheels by Hennie de Klerk and Carl Swanepoel, but the latter's Toyota Hilux later caught fire due to what appeared to be a burst fuel line. Thankfully, everyone escaped unharmed. Earlier, Sa'aad Variawa and Oriol Mena Valdearcos had been forced out when they clipped a rock, causing power steering oil to leak from their Hilux. They had started Saturday in second place, just 69 seconds behind the leaders.
In the Ultimate SA T1+ category, German driver Jurgen Schröder and Rikus Fourie took their first class win of the season in their WCT VW Amarok, finishing seventh overall in 06:18:30. They had stopped to assist de Klerk and Swanepoel during their troubles.
Johan and Sean van Staden overcame a broken wheel from the qualifying race to finish second in class, just 89 seconds behind the winners. They had started Friday's first stage from the back after the qualifying mishap and had to battle through dust, but their persistence paid off.
Philip Botha and Andries Mynhardt, who started the final day as class leaders, also stopped to help at the burning vehicle and received time compensation. They completed the class podium in 06:25:08, finishing ninth overall. Eugene Bierman and Marius Lombard took fourth in class and tenth overall in their Century Racing CR6 with a time of 06:27:41.
Dutch pairing Dave and Tessa Klaassen narrowly missed the top ten by just 14 seconds, finishing 11th overall in 06:27:55. Their teammates Herman Jasper and Markus Laan crossed the line in 06:51:37 to take 12th position.
Only three more crews managed to reach the finish line of what will be remembered as a particularly gruelling event. Werner Mostert and his son Ian claimed the SxS victory and 13th overall in their Can-Am Maverick with a time of 07:00:07. Century Property Development CEO Mark Corbett and his son Max piloted their brand-new Century Racing CRX to 14th overall and the top step of the Challenger Class podium in 07:02:40.
The Adventurer Class saw Nielen Marx and Rikus Hattingh as the sole finishers in their Red-Lined VK50. After starting the final day from the back of the field, they produced a determined performance to take their first class win of the season in 07:26:30. Early class leaders Peet Victor and VanZyl Jonck, along with Tokkie Ferreira and Nardus Janse van Rensburg, were among those who couldn't complete the distance.
Other retirements included Jayden Els and Johann Swemmer, who had started Saturday in tenth after missing the qualifier and working their way through from the back on Friday. Lood du Preez and Adriaan Roets called it a day during Stage Two, while Geoff Minnitt and Leander Pienaar and the crew of Henk Klaassen and Sasha Siripanyavuthi all experienced issues during the final stage.
With just two rounds remaining in the 2026 season, teams now have a chance to regroup before heading to the VAPS HCV Vryheid 400 on 9 and 10 October.
Colin Windell for Colin-on-Cars in association with
proudly ALL THINGS MOTORING
Images: Waldo van der Waal
