What South African Rally Raid Championship Round 2 Preview
Where Eston, KwaZulu Natal
When 12-13 May 2023
Community South Africa National
Aliyyah joins Chris & Johan in three-car Sugarbelt attack
Red-Lined Motorsport heads to Eston in the KwaZulu Natal Midlands with an exciting three car team for the second round of the 2023 SA Rally-Raid Championship, the Sugarbelt 400 held on the 12th and 13th May.
Team regulars Chris Visser and Albertus Venter’s Dragon Energy powered FIA REVO T1+ and Johan de Bruyn and Gerhard Schutte’s OdorCure FIA REVO T1, will be joined by teen lady racing sensation Aliyyah Koloc on her T1 rally raid debut in a Red-Lined VK50 alongside experienced notes man Riaan Greyling in their Buggyra Racing VK50.
Unfortunately due to business commitments the ever dependable Penta Motor Group boys, Philip Botha and Roelof Janse van Vuren will not be competing in this round of the championship but will make a welcome return to the Botswana Desert 1000 in June.
“It’s a big weekend for all concerned,” Red-Lined Motorsport CEO Terence Marsh explains. “T1 class championship leader de Bruyn and Schutte arrive at Eston on the threshold of a potential third T1 win in as many meetings, while Visser and Venter will once again be out to take on the T1+ big guns for podium positions. Koloc meanwhile steps up to race a T1 car for the first time alongside Greyling.
“There’s been a bit of a break between the first race at Malelane and now, which as a team gave us the ability to participate in the Morocco Desert Challenge as well as prepare for the Sugarbelt event. Johan and Gerhard won the opening event of the last race in 2022 and then opened their 2023 season with another win, so there is a potential chance of a hat trick, which is exciting.
Chris and Albertus will be having their second outing in our all-new Red-Lined REVO+ which is still in its development phase. They are looking to improve on their top 5 overall result first time out.
“The biggest excitement however in the Red-Lined camp this weekend is the arrival of teenage lady racing sensation Aliyyah Koloc. Aliyyah has already proven herself with a splendid ninth in the highly competitive T3 buggy class on debut against the best in the world at the 2023 Dakar Rally. Aliyyah then went on to finish a career best third in T3 in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge as she doubles her motorsport schedule with a race winning GT4 program on track.
“Aliyyah has quietly prepared for her step up to T1 and really impressed us during testing. Now teamed with the vastly experienced Riaan Greyling, Aliyyah can’t wait for what will be a rather different challenge in the foothills of the Berg in a heavier and more powerful V8 T1 race car, rather than the desert she is used to in her lightweight T3 machine. We are really looking forward to this development journey with Aliyyah as she gears herself up for the top tier T1+ class into the future.”
Red-Lined Motorsport will be based at the traditional Eston Country Club race headquarters for the classic South African Rally Raid adventure that is the 12 and 13 May Sugarbelt 400.
*Red-Lined Motorsport competes with premium strategic partners, the Penta Motor Group, BFGoodrich, Motul, Dragon Energy, PentaSure, OMP, ExpandaSign and Wheel Collision.
Issued on behalf of Red-Lined Motorsport
Photography by: Andre Laubscher
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