- Lance Woolridge and Kenny Gilbert (#234) are fourth in SARRC Overall Production Vehicle championship and the Ultimate class after finishing on the podium at Round 5 in Parys
- Reigning champions Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer (#200) are sixth overall, having ended fourth at previous round after coming desperately close to victory
- NWM Ford Rally-Raid Team has regularly shown race-winning pace in 2024, but luck hasn’t been on their side – a trend it is aiming to reverse after winning the Phakisa round last year
The Neil Woolridge Motorsport (NWM) Ford Rally-Raid Team is hoping to repeat its good fortunes at the Phakisa Raceway near Welkom when the South African Rally-Raid Championship (SARRC) returns to the venue for Round 6 of the 2024 season.
Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer (#200) won this event last year on the path to being crowned the 2023 SARRC Overall Production Vehicle and T1+ (Ultimate) champions, while team-mates Lance Woolridge and Kenny Gilbert (#234) were well positioned to finish second until suspension damage put them out of the race.
Throughout the 2024 season, the NWM Ford squad has shown exceptional pace with its EcoBoost-powered Ranger Ultimate, most notably at the previous event in Parys during August. Gareth and Boyd were well on track to score a well-deserved race win at Round 5 with a commanding lead going into the final loop, but a puncture close to the end dropped them to fourth place.
After a race-long battle with their rivals, Lance and Kenny were also in contention for victory, but ultimately had to settle for third place, losing out on the runner-up spot by a mere one second in one of the closest finishes in recent memory.
“Luck certainly hasn’t been on our side this year, and we’ve come so close to a couple of race wins that have slipped from our grasp at the last moment,” says Neil Woolridge, NWM Ford team principal. “It’s very encouraging, though, that we’ve had the pace to lead from the front and show what our cars, drivers and navigators are capable of.
“With only two rounds remaining of the 2024 championship, there’s no doubt that we will be giving it everything and going for maximum points at the Phakisa 400,” Woolridge says.
In the championship standings, Lance and Kenny are the top-placed NWM Ford entry, currently fourth in both the Overall Production Vehicle and Ultimate class points tables. Gareth and Boyd are sixth in the overall and class standings, currently tied on equal points with the TeamHilux crew of Fouche and Bertus Blignaut.
As the penultimate race of the 2024 SARRC, the Phakisa 400 takes place on 13 and 14 September, and is once again based at the Phakisa Raceway race circuit on the outskirts of Welkom in the Free State.
It will follow the ‘Super Event’ format, starting with a short 25km qualifying sprint at 10:15 on Friday, followed by the opening 50km main race loop that kicks off at 13:15. On Saturday, the competitors will complete two 180km race loops, starting at 08:00 and separated by a mandatory 30-minute service stop where the vehicles will return to the Phakisa Raceway pit complex.
According to the race organisers, approximately 90 percent of the route will be new compared to last year, with a mix of technical and fast sections that will test the cars and crews to the limit.
Fans can follow the action from numerous spectator points along the route. The position of the crews can also be tracked throughout each of the races using the RallySafe app which can be downloaded for iOS and Android devices from the relevant app stores.
