Toyota, on their campaign on the recent Toyota 1000 Desert Race in Botswana, won just about every battle but lost the war.

Eight of the 11 Production Vehicle finishers were Toyota models, there were two class wins for the fourth time this season and winning the manufacturer’s award helped put Toyota in the lead in the prestige South African Manufacturer’s Championship. The only thing missing was the overall win and Toyota will be aiming to redress that situation on the Sun City 400 on July 24 and 25.

The Sun City event, one of the toughest on the Absa Off Road Championship calendar, is round five of the series and Toyota will be looking for overall victories over the second half of the season. As far as motorsport manager William Haddad is concerned, there is plenty of room for optimism.

“Anthony Taylor and Robin Houghton were comfortably in the lead on the Nissan Sugarbelt 400, and made a terrific comeback on the Toyota 1000 Desert Race. Hein Lategan and Chris Birkin led for a short time in Botswana and there can be no doubting our credentials as potential winners. Hopefully the racing Gods will allow all the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle to come together at Sun City.” - William Haddad

Taylor/Houghton and Lategan/Birkin, in the two Castrol Toyota Hilux factory entries, will again lead the Toyota assault. Taylor and Houghton will have been encouraged by second place in Botswana after having to start from near the back of the field, while off road newcomer Lategan and Birkin are settling into a solid combination.

With the SA Manufacturer’s Championship, a prestige award, also a factor over the rest of the season, the factory teams will have solid privateer back-up. Chris Visser and Japie Badenhorst (RFS Toyota Hilux) currently lie third in the championship, and are one of only three SP Class crews with a 100 percent finish record this season.

Hugo and Jaap de Bruyn (Micaren Exel Toyota Hilux) and Gary Bertholdt and Danie Stassen (Atlas Copco Toyota Hilux) are also podium material, and youngsters Christiaan du Plooy and Henk Jansen van Vuuren have thrown their hat into the ring in the second RFS Toyota Hilux. The Pretoria pair finished a more than creditable third in Botswana, and their confidence will be sky high.

After a disappointing Toyota 1000 Desert Race the husband and wife pairing of George and Sharon Barkhuizen (AIM Toyota Hilux) will be keen to bounce back, and Jaco Swanepoel/Keith Solomon (IDM Cement Toyota Hilux) will make a welcome return to action.

Mpumalanga brothers Johan and Werner Horn (Malelane Toyota Land Cruiser) covered themselves in glory by winning Class D on the Toyota 1000 Desert Race, but the Sun City favourites will again be championship leaders Cliff and Louis Weichelt in the N1 4x4 Toyota Hilux D4D. The Weichelt’s, along with a host of other crews, failed to see out the distance in Botswana but have a comfortable lead in the championship.

Dewald van Breda/Johann du Toit (Northam Toyota Hilux D4D) and Heine Strumpher/Hendrik van der Linde (Micaren Exel Toyota Hilux) will want to bounce back after also failing to finish in Botswana. Back in action will be Ramon and Maret Bezuidenhout in a new Toyota Hilux, and they add an extra bow to the Toyota fiddle in Class D.
Toyota crews are dominating Class E with a tie at the top of the championship between the 4x4 Megaworld Toyota Hilux crews of Deon Venter/Ian Palmer and impressive rookies Pikkie Labuschagne/Rikus Erasmus. Both teams have won twice and, in tennis terms, the Sun City race will be a tiebreaker.

Lurking ominously behind the leaders are current champions Jannie Visser and Joks le Roux (RFS Toyota Hilux) who have a habit of grinding out results when they need them most. Also in the mix will be Diederik and Danie Hattingh in the Transcor Toyota Hilux.

The Sun City 400 is a spectator friendly event and always draws good crowds from Gauteng, Limpopo, the North West and surrounding areas. Race headquarters, the start/finish and the designated service park are all situated at the Sun City resort complex.

The prologue to determine start positions will start at 12h00 on Friday, July 24 and the race at 08h00 on Saturday, July 25.