The opening race of the 2022 South African Rally-Raid Championship (SARRC) is just around the corner – we’ll be there to cover the action from the sidelines, but in the meantime, Ryan de Villiers offers a glimpse into what to expect from Neil Woolridge Motorsport (NWM).
The first race of the new season will take place at the Mpumalanga 400 hosted in Dullstroom on the 25th and 26th of March. Making its debut appearance, the Class FIA T1+ will kick-off the weekend’s action. The adrenaline-fuelled T1+ will comprise heavily modified and outrageous V6-powered Ford Rangers. The T1+ category will adopt the regulations seen in the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship and Dakar Rally.
Eager to make the most of this new season and news class is Neil Woolridge Motorsport (NWM) determined to attain victories in both the T1 and T1+ classes this season. Lance Woolridge and co-driver Elvene Vonk will be racing in the redesigned and extremely powerful T1+ spec EcoBoost Ford Ranger. The latest redesign of the NWM Ford Ranger has seen significant modifications over its predecessor. Compared to the 2021 Ranger, the new car is 300 mm wider, features a longer travel suspension mated with 37-inch wheels.
Of the vehicle, Lance Woolridge said, “Although there is still some work to do as we fine-tune the setup, we have been impressed with the vehicle’s performance so far and look forward to seeing it in action in Dullstroom.”
Alongside the T1+ class competitors is the younger privateer team supported by NWM that will be driving a rampant V8 Ford Ranger built and sold by NWM. Lance Tretheway and Frans Kock will be competing in the regular T1 class and will pilot vehicles that were not homologated for the T1+ category. Unlike its bolder counterpart driven by Woolridge in T1+, the Ranger piloted by Trethewey will be smaller and narrower. Tretheway has an extensive race record having raced for 13 years in special vehicles, however he felt that it was time to switch things up.
The ambitious newcomer had this to say about his weapon of choice for the T1 class; “Driving a production vehicle is very different to what I’m used to with special vehicles, from the way it steers and handles to the braking, but I very quickly got comfortable in the NWM Ranger during the test. We’re going to do a short rally sprint before Dullstroom so I get more time in the car, but so far it feels great.”
After the Mpumalanga 400, the following event will be the Sugarbelt 400 on the 29th and 30th of April which is scheduled to take place in Eston, KwaZulu-Natal.
