The Sasol Rally, one of the premier events on the dirt racing calendar, celebrates its 25th anniversary this weekend in the forests around Sabie and Nelspruit.
Over the past 24 editions the roll of honour features legendary rally names like Sarel van der Merwe, Serge Damseaux, Jan Habig and Enzo Kuun, who between them have won 17 Sasol Rallies.
The changing of the guard started in 2011 when Leeroy Poulter and Mark Cronje started to dominate the top step of the podium and continued to do so over the past five years.
This weekend’s event sees Poulter and his co-driver Elvéne Coetzee as favourites in their Gazoo Racing SA Toyota Yaris S2000, following the unexpected withdrawal from the series of defending champion Cronje in the VW Polo.
When & where?
The rally starts at 10am on Friday April 22, with competitors blasting off from the Sabie Town Square before tackling various gravel stages in the area and then returning for the town stage at 6pm that evening.
Saturday kicks off with two super special stages in Nelspruit, at 7:45am and 9:20am, after which drivers will tackle the White River School tar stage at 10am and various gravel stages before the grand finale in Sabie at 4pm.
Download your spectator guide HERE
Shakedown Time #SasolRally @RallyinAfrika @sarallying @MotorsportSA pic.twitter.com/cx6WCYpbEc
— Eric Maxime Nzamwita (@EricMaxime) April 21, 2016
#SasolRally #arc #2wd#2015 #team_goliath #toyotarunx #S1600 #usangulogistics #dayuntrucks pic.twitter.com/k9XwyS9zR9
— Ismail Shermohamed (@Xuma_Ismailov) April 21, 2016
@SasolSA @Xuma_Ismailov go show them mate in #sasolrally pic.twitter.com/8vDZoryuGu
— Neil Malilwe (@neilmalilwe) April 21, 2016
Join us at Sabie Square at 10am for the ceremonial start of the 2016 #SasolRally. Click on the image for more info pic.twitter.com/ZnWPhGMnBt
— MJ Khan (@concerningmj) April 22, 2016