The South African National Rally Championship’s flagship round, the TRACN4 Rally, is set to once again wow fans on November 17 and 18 in Dullstroom, Mpumalanga.
This is the fourth consecutive year that this motorsport event, which boasts a strong local flavour for teams and spectators, is being held in the eMakhazeni region, renowned for its touristic vibe and deep-rooted culture. The 2023 TRACN4 Rally is the final leg of the South African National Rally Championship, which is also the oldest, consecutive championship in South African motorsport. This year’s championship, which started in May in Secunda, has been one of the most action-packed yet with stiff competition between the teams ensuring that the final rally of the year will be one for the record books.
Going all out
Aptly themed Going All Out, and given the current point standings, there is no doubt that this year’s TRACN4 Rally will deliver in terms of skilful driving, challenging terrain and nail-biting competition! The eMakhazeni leg will be made up of approximately 14 action-packed stages, most of which will be held in the gruelling forests that envelop Dullstroom.
Besides fast cars, daredevil drivers, sharp navigators and dedicated service crews, the TRACN4 Rally is about uplifting the eMakhazeni community socially and economically, and supporting mainly the Dullstroom Epilepsy Centre, which has been the event’s beneficiary since 2020. The town also benefits from the TRAC E-Learning project and other smaller corporate social investment interventions as part of the bigger eMakhazeni District.
The facility is the head office of Epilepsy SA, for Mpumalanga, and plays a pivotal role in the lives of those with epilepsy and their families, in the province’s rural areas. All proceeds from this year’s rally will be donated to the organisation, which will again serve as rally headquarters.
According to local community and business forum members, the TRACN4 Rally has become an annual highlight for the region, especially for Dullstroom and Belfast, which largely rely on tourism for their livelihood. The event brings hundreds of people to the area, for a minimum of three days, and plays a significant role in temporary job creation.
Taking on the rugged terrain
The teams will once again take on the surrounding forest roads, which are generously made available and expertly maintained by Safcol and S&N Boerdery.
The rally organisers are still putting the final touches of the event in place and it will be made up of approximately seven stages on Friday, November 17, and another seven on Saturday, totalling an approximate 170km of racing over the two-day event.
Spectators are also in for a treat as they can watch their favourite teams from specially set-up spectator points, the location of which will be communicated on TRAC’s and the NRC’s social media platforms, as well as the much sought-after TRACN4 Rally Programme, which will be out a week before the event.
Rally enthusiasts unable to attend the event can catch the fast, thrilling action on all the SARallying social media pages and RaceDay TV, which will also share the action on various social media platforms.
