Titles on the line as rally-raid roars into Koedoeskop

Platinum Bushvelder newspaper | Thabazimbi – Three straight wins, a title fight separated by just five points, and four Audi Quattros with Dakar pedigree. The Northam Zondereinde Bushveld 400 will bring all three to the Thabazimbi area on Friday and Saturday, 13 and 14 November 2026.

Only one national title has been settled heading into the fifth and final round of the 2026 South African Rally-Raid Championship. Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Guy Botterill and navigator Henry Köhne arrive on a winning streak after taking the past three rounds. Their teammates Saood Variawa and Charan Moore won the season opener, while Ford’s Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer have finished on the podium at every round and remain in the hunt for the Ultimate FIA T1+ honours. In the Ultimate SA T1+ class, just five points separate leaders Johan and Sean van Staden from Philip Botha and Andries Mynhardt. The Adventurer title is also still up for grabs, with Nielen Marx and Rikus Hattingh chasing class leaders Peet Victor and VanZyl Jonck.

One of the weekend’s biggest draws will be four 1985 Audi Quattro replicas fielded by the Dutch Quattro Legends team. The eight crew members will be racing in South Africa for the first time. Among them is Erik van Loon, who won the H4 class at the 2025 Dakar Classic and will race here with navigator Hein Verschuuren.

When and where to catch the action

Racing opens on Friday at 09:30 with a 22 km qualifier to determine the starting order for Stage One, a 108 km section that gets under way at 13:00. Crews tackle the same section again from 08:30 on Saturday for Stage Two.

Koedoeskop Laerskool, about 44 km south of Thabazimbi just off the R511, will serve as race headquarters and the designated service park. Saturday’s final stage starts and finishes at the school, where the podium ceremonies will also take place.