BARAGWANATH AND CREMER WIN TGRSA 1000 DESERT RACE IN UPINGTON | Cross-Country Rally NEWS

BARAGWANATH AND CREMER WIN TGRSA 1000 DESERT RACE IN UPINGTON

Brian Baragwanath and navigator, Leonard Cremer won the inaugural Toyota Gazoo Racing SA (TGRSA) 1000 Desert Race that took place over three days, 18, 19 and 20 June, and almost a thousand kilometres in the Upington area of the Northern Cape with their Century Racing CR6.

The TGRSA 1000 Desert Race formed the third round of the 2021 South African National Cross Country Series (SACCS) and is the only marathon event on the calendar.

A total of 43 teams started the TGRSA 1000 Desert Race that substituted the historical Toyota Kalahari Botswana 1000 Desert Race that could not be hosted in Botswana this year due to the pandemic. Teams had to complete the northern loop of the TGRSA 1000 Desert Race twice on Saturday and a different loop towards the south of Upington twice on Sunday.

After three tough days of racing and a nail-biting duel with Henk Lategan/Brett Cummings (TGRSA Toyota Hilux) on the final two days, it was Baragwanath and Cremer who brought their two-wheel drive Century Racing CR6 home in a total time of 11 hours 27 minutes and 30 seconds to win the Production Vehicle Category as well as the FIA Class.
Lategan/Cummings having to push the new petrol-powered 3.5 litre turbo charged V6 Hilux as hard as they could in three-wheel drive, the team had to settle for the runner-up position, only three minutes and 16 seconds behind the winners after more than 11 and a half hours of racing.

The overall Production Vehicle Category and FIA Class podium were rounded off by Lance Woolridge/Elvéne Vonk (Ford Castrol Cross Country Ranger) (11:36:49) who had a good race with only one flat tyre on the final day. They were tied in a battle with Giniel de Villiers/Dennis Murphy (TGRSA Hilux) who also lost time with three punctures while they frustratingly got stuck on a mound and lost more time to eventually finish the race in fifth place overall and in the FIA Class.

Eben Basson/Gerhard Schutte (Red-Lined Motorsport VK56) clawed their way back to 13th in the category at the halfway mark of the race. Basson, who competed in his first ever marathon desert race, and Schutte eventually finished ninth overall and in the FIA Class. They also won the Road the Dakar Challenge and a free entry to the Dakar Rally and plan to participate in this event in 2023.