The SA National Rally Championship (NRC) is pleased to announce that Toyota SA will return to the championship after a seven-year sabbatical. ” We are thrilled to officially welcome back a manufacturer, who has a major presence in both the global and local motorsport scenes, as a partner to Stage Rallying in South Africa.
This collaboration with Toyota is an important step towards ensuring that the NRC currently in its 62nd year of existence and the oldest running championship in South Africa, will continue to thrive and grow” Chris Coertse, NRC Steering Committee Chairman said.
The 3-year partnership between Toyota and the NRC starting in 2024, will further extend Toyota SA’s commitment to rallying in South Africa, where they have been competing in the locally developed Toyota Gazoo Starlet AR1 (Africa Rally 1) cars since 2022. This additional investment in the NRC bears testimony to the fact that rallying in South Africa remains highly popular and has shown impressive growth since the re-introduction of 4-wheel drive cars in 2020.
The drivers of the two Toyota Starlet AR1 Cars, Mandla Mdakane and Jono Van Wyk’s know exactly how to put their cars through its paces to entertain the crowds. Multiple Rally Championship Winner and now Dakar Driver Guy Botterill, manages the team. Another exciting development is the addition of a third Toyota Starlet to the team this season, driven by an aspiring rookie. Indeed, another example of the continued support from Toyota in SA Motorsport.
The 2024 Rally Season will commence on April 12th and 13th in the Western Cape Swartland Region, bringing the NRC spectacle to Malmesbury and the surrounding areas. The event will also include exciting tarmac action at night around the Killarney Racetrack on Friday.
The rest of the 2024 Rally Calendar are as follows:
Round Date Event Location Country
National 1 & 2 Double Pointer 12 – 13 April Swartland Rally Malmesbury Western Cape
National 3 & 4 Regional 1 & 2 31 May – 1 June Secunda Rally Secunda Mpumalanga
National 5 & 6 5 – 6 July ALgoa Rally Gqeberha Eastern Cape
National 7 & 8 Regional 3 & 4 30 – 31 August Tzaneen Rally Tzaneen Limpopo
National 9 & 10 Regional 5 & 6 15 – 16 November TRAC Rally Dullstroom Mpumalanga
We look forward to a very successful and safe 2024 Rally season with loads of action. For more information follow us on Facebook @SARallyChamps or our website www.nrcsa.co.za
Published by: William Louw
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