Outeniqua 400
Giniel de Villiers and Dennis Murphy conquer the demanding Outeniqua 400 held in the Garden Route.
The demanding Outeniqua 400, the fourth round of the South African Rally-Raid Championship, pushed competitors to their limits. Staged from Louvain Guest Farm in the George area of the Garden Route, this inaugural event ultimately saw the seasoned crew of Giniel de Villiers and Dennis Murphy emerge as the fi rst champions of this challenging new addition to the calendar.
The Outeniqua 400, held on Friday, 19 September, and Saturday, 20 September, featured a challenging route through the Langkloof and over the Kammanassie Mountains, hailed by competitors as one of the best they’ ve encountered. The event began with a 28-kilometre Falken Wild Peak Qualifying Race, followed by an 82-kilometre Stage One. Saturday saw two stages, each spanning 166 kilometres. De Villiers and Murphy secured their fi rst overall and Ultimate FIA T1 + victories of the season, fi nishing with a total race time of 06:41:27. After an impressive lead on the fi rst day, they skillfully maintained their position at the front on the fi nal day, successfully navigating through dusty conditions.
The Castrol NWM Ford Rally Raid Team celebrated a successful weekend, securing second and third places overall and on the Ultimate FIA T1 + podiums. Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer( NWM Ford Evo Plus) fi nished just 60 seconds behind the winners, despite experiencing a puncture in the qualifying race and two more punctures on the fi nal two stages. They started day two in fourth place, only two seconds behind their Brazilian teammates, Marcos Baumgart and Kleber Cincea. Baumgart and Cincea enjoyed a trouble-free two days, completing both podiums with a time of 06:50:47.
Meanwhile, the Blignaut brothers, Fouché and Bertus(# TeamHilux RallyRaid Toyota DKR Hilux T1 +), started the second day just behind De Villiers and Murphy. However, they lost four-wheel drive very early in the race, causing them to drop back and settle for fourth place overall and in their class( 07:05:30).
Despite their initial struggles, Toyota Gazoo Racing showed impressive resilience. Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet, who had posted the fastest qualifying time in their Toyota Hilux IMT EVO, faced a significant setback on the fi rst day when they ended up in a ditch, losing considerable time. However, the team displayed remarkable determination, fi ghting their way back to secure a fi fth-place fi nish overall and in the Ultimate FIA T1 + Class. After over seven hours of racing, they were separated from the Blignaut brothers by a mere fi ve seconds, highlighting their incredible comeback.
In contrast, their teammates, Guy Botterill / Mena Valdearcos, initially held the sec-
WORDS IN ACTION 50 SEPTEMBER 2025