South African rally-raid fans and competitors have been holding their breath for the 2026 season to finally kick off, and now the wait’s almost over. The INGCO Parys 400 is set to go down on 19 and 20 June at Stonehenge River Lodge along the Kopjeskraal Road just outside Parys in North West Province. If all goes to plan, this one’s going to deliver proper action and then some—more than enough to make up for all the months of stop-start.
This race will now be the season opener. The Stella event in North West had to be put on ice because of a foot-and-mouth outbreak, and the Outeniqua 600 down in the southern Cape got pushed to August after those heavy storms and flooding in May.
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It’ll be the eighth time they’ve raced in the Parys area. Competitors have seen it all here—dry and dusty, wet and wild. Plenty will still remember that massive hailstorm back during the first race in 2019. This year, the drivers will again cross two provinces, because most of the route runs closer to Parys in the Free State, but the sections along the Vaal River take them straight into North West.
The Ingco Parys 400 is going to add some serious weekend vibe to that little dorp. For the spectators and enthusiasts, it’s a proper show. For the racers? Make no mistake—it’s serious business, even if they’re having a jol. They’ll be looking to bank some early points on the 2026 scorecard, and clock a few hundred racing kilometres while they’re at it.
For this year’s edition, they’ve taken the best bits from last year’s double-header route and stitched them together into a fast, challenging race.
Things get going at 09:30 on Friday morning, 19 June, with a Qualifying Race close to Race Headquarters and the Designated Service Park (DSP). That’ll set the starting order for Stage One, which kicks off at 12:30. For the first stage, competitors will take a 14km non-racing liaison section via the R59 through town to the Parys Airfield. From there, the proper racing starts—through open veld with some technical bits, sharp turns, and water crossings. The stage finishes back at the airfield, and then they head to the DSP at Stonehenge River Lodge.
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On Saturday, 20 June, after the ceremonial start from Stonehenge, the drivers will again head through town, this time along the minor Weiveld gravel road, to the Stage Two starting point just past the bridge over the N1. At 08:30, they’re off on the 200km route—expect muddy patches, wide open grasslands, and the usual mealie fields.
The route cuts across a few gravel roads and winds along the Free State scenery towards the Weiveld Grain Silos and the Boerevereniging Hall, then hits the R82 (a big tar road), loops back past the Dover Railway Station towards the silos, and finishes up close to the N1. From there, the whole spectacle heads via the R723 through Parys, then takes Kopjeskraal Road back to the DSP for a compulsory 30-minute service break. Then they do the whole stage again.
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These two stages blend fast sections with technical bits—proper entertainment and a properly interesting race.
And here’s the cherry on top: Parys is only 150km from central Gauteng, about an hour’s drive from the West Rand and Potchefstroom. So rally-raid fans are just a short trip away from being part of the first race of the season. Expect to see some beastly machines, a mix of new and familiar faces, and world-class racing, South African style.
