The 2022 TRACN4 National Rally is just two weeks away, and entries for this illustrious motorsport event in
Dullstroom, Mpumalanga, have started pouring in.
Not only are the competing rally teams and their fans excited about the final leg of both the National and
Regional series, but the hosting Emakhazeni community is looking forward to hearing the roar of world
class rally cars in and around their town.
This year’s rally – being held on 18 and 19 November – will bring the 2022 official SA Rally Championship
and Northern Regions Regional Rally to a close, with contenders expected to put up a tough fight for the
honour of being crowned SA Rally and Northern Regions Champions.
Intense competition is expected in the NRC 1 (AWD/R4) class, with the top teams in this division expected
to fight until the end for national top honours. Chris Coertse and Greg Godrich have been consistent in
their performance and are leading the championship in their new Rally 2 Kit 1600 Mazda-2. In second place
is Theuns Joubert and Schalk Van Heerden, in their Salom Toyota Yaris; and multiple SA Rally Championship
duo Guy Botterill and Simon Vacy-Lyle, in their Toyota Starlet, are in third place.
Fourth place is currently held by Johannes Potgieter and Tommy Du Toit, in the Hyundai i20 R4, who are
chasing hard, and also not giving up the chase is Gerald Klopper and Johan Aucamp, in his R2 Toyota Etios,
in fifth position.
The sixth position is being held by the Subaru, driven by Johan Strauss and navigator Elzaan Venter; and in
seventh place are Anton Raaths and Mari Du Casse who need to be watched closely as they are fighting
hard to move up the leader board in their R2 Toyota Auris.
Another team doing extremely well in the national championships in a Ford Fiesta R2 is Magriet Potgieter
and Rikus Fourie, who will start the final leg of the 2022 National championship in eighth position.
The ninth and 10th positions belong to two R2 class teams, namely Benjamin Habig and Barry White, in a
VW Polo R2; and Jono van Wyk and Ingrid Jeacocks, in a Ford Fiesta R2.
On the Northern Regional Rally front, the R2 Toyota Auris of Anton Raaths and Mari Du Casse is leading the
Championship, followed by the consistent and entertaining team of Stuart Stirling and Robin Knighton in
their VW Kombi Syncro. George Smallberger is currently in third place. In terms of this division’s navigator
contest, competition is tight too with three navigators fighting for the third overall Navigators title for
2022. This Championship is still wide open, and the Rally gods are still deciding which way the pendulum
will swing for the crown of the Northern Regions Rally Championship which further ensures that the 2022
TRAC N4 National Rally will be full of excitement, tough competition and excellent driving!
Even though some of the stages in this year’s rally are again taking place in the challenging SAFCOL and
S&N Boerdery plantations that envelope Dullstroom, the organisers have also created new and exciting
stages that are expected to test all the competitors. One of these – considered one of the highlights – will
start from the SAFCOL Belfast Plantation offices, in the direction of Lakenvlei Lodge. One of the old
favourites, Stage Henk, is also back and will be contested on the final day.
The highlight of this year’s rally for spectators will again be the Legends Stage, right on the edge of town.
Another superb piece of news regarding this year’s rally is that Mahindra Nelspruit has agreed to partner
with the event and provide the safety vehicle convoy. This fleet will be made up of the brand’s latest Next
Generation Mahindra Pik Up Karoo special edition Dusk, Dawn and Storm and will be used by rally officials
to ensure that the stages, competitors, teams and spectators are safe throughout the event.
This is the fourth consecutive year Trans African Concessions is sponsoring a round of the South African
National and Regional Rally Championship series, and the third year it is taking the event to Dullstroom,
one of the province’s most iconic tourist towns. Knowing the event well already, locals have expressed
their eagerness to welcome back the rally fraternity, promising to ensure their region is ready to host the
competition, which is considered a significant economic driver.
This year’s rally will again coincide with the Dullstroom Village Market, which will be held on 19 November
at the Oval, from where the rally will start on the second day of competition. According to the market
organisers, this is the perfect opportunity to get the town wholly involved in this motorsport event, which
also has a solid corporate social investment element as all the proceeds raised will be donated to the
Dullstroom Epilepsy Centre.
For more information on the 2022 TRACN4 Rally, follow @TRACN4 or @SARallychamps on Facebook and
Instagram or visit our website at www.tracn4.co.za. The race secretary can be contacted at
lizelle@electrothread.co.za.
Enquiries
Solange Soares
Communications Manager
Tel: +2713 755 3316 (switchboard)
Mobile: +2776 021 2524 (cell)
Email: ssoares@tracn4.co.za
