Racing South Africa | Kalahari Rally Stage Results At The Halfway Point!

Stage recap and results as the Kalahari Rally is at its' halfway point

Story and photos by: WESTx1000

Stage 1: An Arduous Two-Part Stage Kicks Off the Kalahari Rally

Stage One’s Marathon conjured up just the sort of chaos that was expected. While the Prologue set the pace, the stage 1 event set the bar! The question left at the end of the stage race was, could the racers can keep up with the ambitious routes. The first half of the course offers tight, windy narrow tracks in the bush opening to long fast sections, thick sand and overgrown paths. Tracks are very clear and defined but the navigation is tricky, considered Medium in difficulty. The second section is completely new to the event presenting riders with a fast, flowy course, a bit of riverbed and intermittent bush and brush.

Stage 1 Results

#204 Geoff Minnitt (ZAF); Seigfried Rousseau (ZAF), WCT ENGINEERING
#202 Theo Erasmus (ZAF); Johan Bekker (ZAF), MARIENDAL RACING
#205 Joao Lota (PRT); Nuno Santos (AGO), ANGOLA RALLY TEAM
#201 Hamish Horrel (ZAF); Carl Oosthuizen (ZAF), NH3 REFRIGERATION
(DNS) #203 Dwayne Voogt (ZAF); Mario Du Plessis (ZAF), TEAM UTV

Stage 2: Vryburg to Heuningvlei

Stage 2 really tested the drivers and navigators alike. The long distances and deep sand put a toll on the pilots while their partners had to be on-point for every twist and turn. Motos carried the heaviest burden of course as they were responsible for both the technicalities of the terrain and the complexity of the roadbooks.

Stage 2 Results

#202 Theo Erasmus (ZAF); Johan Bekker (ZAF), MARIENDAL RACING
#204 Geoff Minnitt (ZAF); Seigfried Rousseau (ZAF), WCT ENGINEERING
#205 Joao Lota (PRT); Nuno Santos (AGO), ANGOLA RALLY TEAM
#201 Hamish Horrel (ZAF); Carl Oosthuizen (ZAF), NH3 REFRIGERATION
(DNS) #203 Dwayne Voogt (ZAF); Mario Du Plessis (ZAF), TEAM UTV

Stage 3: Rietfontein to Klein Mier

Stage 3 saw positions changing every day with contenders dropping like flies. Theo Erasmus and Johan Bekker [#202] maintained a good pace ahead of their adversaries in UTV #204 past a few Waypoints. But the impending waves of sand create the type of environment where destinies are uncovered, and for the last SSVs standing midway through the Kalahari Rally, #204 with Geoff Minnitt and Seigfried Rousseau on controls managed to exit the track with the crown after all, while the opposition – Hamish Horrel with Carl Oosthuizen in #201 and Joao Lota with Juno Santos #205 took noble positions at either side.

Teams experienced saltpans, a winding dirt two-track and long and flat fast sections – all near the Namibian and also Botswana borders. Navigation was considered medium to hard.

Stage 3 Results

#204 Geoff Minnitt (ZAF); Seigfried Rousseau (ZAF), WCT ENGINEERING
#201 Hamish Horrel (ZAF); Carl Oosthuizen (ZAF), NH3 REFRIGERATION
#205 Joao Lota (PRT); Nuno Santos (AGO), ANGOLA RALLY TEAM
#202 Theo Erasmus (ZAF); Johan Bekker (ZAF), MARIENDAL RACING
(DNS) #203 Dwayne Voogt (ZAF); Mario Du Plessis (ZAF), TEAM UTV

Stage 4: Goerapan

Stage Four is a tricky, technical challenge intended to catch racers off-guard. It’s a brand-new route for the event, with sharp peaks, swift drops and very tight sections in the dunes. There are sections with negative cambers, altogether not offering many high-speed opportunities. The navigation is considered a medium.

Stage 4 Results

#204 Geoff Minnitt (ZAF); Seigfried Rousseau (ZAF), WCT ENGINEERING
#201 Hamish Horrel (ZAF); Carl Oosthuizen (ZAF), NH3 REFRIGERATION
#202 Theo Erasmus (ZAF); Johan Bekker (ZAF), MARIENDAL RACING
#205 Joao Lota (PRT); Nuno Santos (AGO), ANGOLA RALLY TEAM
(DNS) #203 Dwayne Voogt (ZAF); Mario Du Plessis (ZAF), TEAM UTV

Stage 5: Vanzyls Rus

Stage 5 is the penultimate stage of the Kalahari Rally, and there was no shortage of excitement.

UTV #202, operated by Theo Erasmus and guided by Johan Bekker, found themselves in control of the board once more by stage finish. However, this ultimately didn’t secure the overall standings. And possibly it’s an outcome that’s already settled. Except, this is a chivalric tale, which means the protagonists are here with the intention of finding their limits. Of earning success with a steady hand and an iron chest. In rally raid, no one is given their victories merely because it seems the most plausible conclusion. A thinner lineup of contenders notwithstanding, the Autos put on their best show in SS5. No shock of course – these pros probably would have performed with as much feeling and drive for an audience of one as a hundred thousand. If the objective is to test, train and maybe take home some trophies, then there’s no time for touching the brakes. Eben Basson, accompanied by Gerhard Schutte, in the Red-Lined Motorsports #304 vehicle seemed Master & Commander of Stage Five, driving and navigating with surgeon-like precision, even under pressure from Terence Marsh and Riaan Greyling in #308. Because you know they gave them hell. Teammates Philip Botha and Roelof Janse Van Vuren likewise put in their best effort, but theirs was an on-course production eclipsed in SS5 by the former two T1’s.

Stage 5 Results:

#202 Theo Erasmus (ZAF); Johan Bekker (ZAF), MARIENDAL RACING
#204 Geoff Minnitt (ZAF); Seigfried Rousseau (ZAF), WCT ENGINEERING
#201 Hamish Horrel (ZAF); Carl Oosthuizen (ZAF), NH3 REFRIGERATION
#205 Joao Lota (PRT); Nuno Santos (AGO), ANGOLA RALLY TEAM
(DNS) #203 Dwayne Voogt (ZAF); Mario Du Plessis (ZAF), TEAM UTV

Follow @utvsportsmag and @WESTx1000 for continued updates as the rally finishes and then back to utvsportsmag.com for a full recap.