TOYOTA GAZOO Racing South Africa (TGRSA) made it three wins from three rounds in the 2026 South African Rally-Raid Championship (SARRC) this weekend, as Guy Botterill and Henry Köhne led the Century Property Developments – Century Racing Outeniqua 400 from start to finish. The GR Hilux IMT EVO crew completed the two-day, 400-kilometre event, based at Louvain Guest Farm in the Upper Langkloof in the Garden Route, in a total time of 05:42:47, securing Botterill’s second victory of the season.
Conditions were clear and warm on Friday, but turned changeable on Saturday as a cold spell moved through the Upper Langkloof, bringing light rain to a route that remained technical, rocky and slippery in places, with the aftermath of the region’s recent flooding still visible along parts of the course.
Botterill and Köhne set the pace from the outset, topping the times in the 25-kilometre Qualifying Race before also posting the fastest time on the 95-kilometre Stage One to end Friday with the overnight lead in a combined time of 01:24:27. Team-mate Sa’aad Variawa, partnered for the weekend by Spanish navigator Oriol Mena, overcame a puncture in Qualifying and another at the same spot on Stage One to finish the day second, just 69 seconds off the lead. Saood Variawa and Charan Moore opened the road for the field and ended the day fourth, a mere five seconds shy of the podium.
Saturday brought disappointment for TGRSA’s other two crews. Sa’aad Variawa and Mena, who started the day in second place, were forced to retire after clipping a hidden rock that gradually drained the power steering fluid from their Hilux. Saood Variawa and Moore, who began the day in fifth, also failed to finish after rolling their vehicle. Both crews were unhurt.
“We were going well and our times were good in the splits, we were right on Guy’s pace and running strongly near the front for my first time here,” said Sa’aad Variawa after retiring from the race. “Then we clipped a rock that was hidden in the grass, and we carried on for another thirty kilometres with everything feeling fine. I think that is when all the power steering oil leaked out, though, because the steering became really difficult, so I decided to rather bring the car in.”
For Botterill and Köhne, the second day proved just as demanding despite their comfortable position at the front.
“Really, really tough,” said Botterill after Stage Two. “Super slippery, with lots of crazy big rocks. I hit one and had a bit of a tank-slapper that tweaked my wrist. At one stage it felt a bit amateurish because there was just no grip, sliding from one side of the road to the other and missing corners. I’m glad to get through it, and I really hope conditions are a lot cleaner and grippier next time we’re here, because that was crazy.”
Botterill and Köhne held firm through Stage Three to complete the event two minutes and 33 seconds clear of 2025 winners Giniel de Villiers and Dennis Murphy (#TeamHilux Rally-Raid), who finished second. Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer (Castrol NWM Ford Rally-Raid) completed the overall podium in third.
“Difficult route, hey, really, really challenging, with a crazy amount of rocks, but beautiful terrain,” said Botterill after taking the chequered flag. “We pushed hard yesterday and again this morning, and luckily we had a bit of a gap that we managed to control. Unfortunately Saood and Sa’aad didn’t have such a good day, but I’m happy to get the Hilux on top of the podium, it was faultless, amazing to drive on this kind of terrain. It’s a really good result for the championship.” Asked about the wrist he had tweaked during Stage Two, Botterill admitted it was “sore, very sore, I drove most of that stage with one hand.” Botterill has since had X-rays on the wrist, though results were inconclusive pending a final clinical assessment.
“I am very proud of the team this weekend,” said TGRSA Team Principal Shameer Variawa. “We’ve now won all three rounds of the season to date, and even though it was unfortunate that neither Saood nor Sa’aad were able to finish the race, we are still in a great position in the championship overall.”
With three rounds down and two remaining in the 2026 SARRC season, TGRSA’s attention now turns to the VAPS HCV Vryheid 400 in KwaZulu-Natal on 9 and 10 October.
Source TGRSA
