NWM ⨉ Ford Dominate the SARRC Botswana Desert Race

The team at Neil Woolridge Motorsports added yet another achievement to their belt with a 1-2 win at the Toyota Gazoo Racing Botswana Kalahari Desert Race in South Africa. The race in Jwaneng was round 3 out of a total 7 in the South African Rally Raid Championship. The EcoBoost V6 powered NWM Ford Castrol T1+ Ranger took victory after 3 days of intense racing and over 1000km covered.

Gareth and Lance, sons of Neil Woolridge who won the Toyota Desert Race in Botswana a total of three times including in a Ford Ranger in 2001, added their names to the list of winners while the victory drought for Ford, who last won in 2011, was broken.
Lance/Gilbert won the 61 kilometre Pirelli Qualifying Race on Friday, 23 June while Gareth/Dreyer were the winners of the second day and took the overall Production Vehicle Category victory as well as the FIA T1+ win after a gruelling race that will be remembered as the ultimate test of man and machine.
After completing almost a thousand kilometres and racing for a total of 11 hours, 14 minutes and 33 seconds (Woolridge/Dreyer), only three minutes 42 seconds separated them from their team-mates with both teams having a relatively clean run on the final day.
They were joined on the podium by Guy Botterill/Simon Vacy-Lyle (Toyota DKR Hilux T1+) who started the final day from fourth position and arrived at the finish with a broken windscreen after hitting a vulture shortly after starting the second of the two 213 kilometre loops.

-South African Rally-Raid Championship

Overview of Event

Friday 23/06/2023

59km qualifying sprint which determines the starting order for the qualifying race. Split point at 30km.

Saturday 24/06/2023

The Pirelli Qualifying Race, consisting of 2x 217km loops (separated by a 30-minute service interval at the Jwaneng Sports Complex). Lance and Kenny (#234) set the fastest time with Gareth and Boyd (#277) qualifying 5th in the second NWM Ford Castrol Ranger. Only 23 seconds separated the top 5!
The NWM-supported T1+ privateer team of Wors Prinsloo and Andre Vermeulen finished an impressive 7th overall, only 44 seconds behind Gareth and Boyd.
Split points at 51.6 kms, 102.4 kms & 158.0 kms.

Gareth and Boyd are the overnight leaders of the TGRSA 1000 Desert Race after a storming performance today over the 440km of punishing racing. Lance and Kenny made it a solid 1-2 at the end of day 2 for the Neil Woolridge Motorsport Ford Motor Company Castrol Team, finishing second overall.