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Toyota took victory in the opening round of the South African Rally-Raid Championship, the Ingco Parys 400, held in the Free State over the weekend.Reigning champion Saood Variawa and navigator Charan Moore took overall victory and won the Ultimate FIA T1+ Class in a Toyota Gazoo Racing Hilux IMT EVO after a close four-way battle in the 400km off-road race. Only 29 seconds separated them from second-placed Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer in the Castrol NWM Ford Rally-Raid Evo Plus.Taking the final podium spot only one second behind were Giniel de Villiers and Dennis Murphy in a Rally-Raid Toyota Hilux. They in turn finished just one second ahead of Guy Botterill and Oriol Mena Valdearcos in a Toyota Gazoo Hilux.The Ultimate SA T1+ class was won by Lood du Preez and Adriaan Roets in the Farmer’s Meat CR6 from Philip Botha/Andries Mynhardt (Red-Lined Revo T1+) and Victor Versteijnen/Petrus van Dal (Daklapack Rallysport Red-Lined Revo GTR).The second round of the 2026 SA Rally-Raid Championship will take place over three days in the Stella area from July 24 to 26.Business Day
