Summarize

Red-Lined Motorsport racing with the Penta Motor Group is preparing for a big weekend at the 4x4 MegaWorld NAMPO South African Cross County round. The team’s brand new Red-Lined REVO will debut in the capable hands of former WRC star and Dakar rookie winner Conrad Rautenbach together with Riaan Greyling. The Red-Lined REVO will be one of the star attractions in an incredible world class entry list that includes no less than 20 FIA Class entries. 

 

Red-Lined has also entered three of its tried and tested VK56 Evo2’s in the double-header event that comprises two separate races on two exclusive routes around the farming area of Bothaville on Friday 1 and Saturday 2 October. “NAMPO is a big weekend for us,” Red-Lined team principal Terence Marsh pointed out. “Our all-new Red-Lined REVO make its much anticipated race debut. We then have two teams who continue to set records in terms of reliability and finishing records which we hope to continue building on, and we also have our old friend and team mate from the UAE back behind the wheel.

 

“Our Red-Lined REVO is purpose built to compete in the FIA World Cup Cross Country Series and the Dakar. “It has been custom designed and created from the ground-up as a no compromise rally raid racer “REVO is built to the latest FIA T1.1 class specification, and with us not having to follow any conventional bakkie design we were able to totally optimise its technical and aerodynamic design. “We have entrusted our first REVO to the experienced and capable pairing of Conrad and Riaan to race for the first time this weekend.” 

 

“This is a huge weekend for us,” Conrad Rautenbach admitted. “Riaan and I have been testing the REVO since our first shakedown and to say that we are thrilled by its performance so far is a huge understatement. “Let’s see how we go in Bothaville, the car is still brand new and hasn’t been tested in race conditions as yet as this is REVO’s very first race so a trouble-free weekend technically would be a great start. “We are looking forward to this new chapter and cannot wait — bring it on!”

 

“Our other big focus for the team this weekend is to see if we can continue with Eben Basson and Gerhard Schutte, and Philip Botha and Roelof Janse van Vuren’s incredible unbroken finishing records to date since both pairings made their debuts aboard our Red-Lined race cars just more than a year ago,” Marsh continued. “We also welcome UAE-based Thomas Bell back and his new Argentinean navigator Bruno Jacomy to the fold, as they return for some more African adventure.” 

 

Eben Basson and Gerhard Schutte finished a stunning second overall in the recent 7-day 3700 km Kalahari Rally and this after their charge back to ninth overall in the previous Desert Race, has given them much confidence. But Eben remains level headed knowing the difficulties and challenges of cross country racing “When I stepped into my Red-Lined VK56 ten months ago, it was the first time I'd ever raced. “Thanks to a great team and a good experienced navigator, I've not had a single mechanical problem in multiple events and almost 10,000 km of racing! “We plan to keep that up this weekend as we continue to build on our experience."

Philip Botha and Roelof Janse van Vuren likewise boast a 100% finish run aboard their Penta Motor Group Red-Lined VK56 “We have had a bit of a fairytale run, of finishing every race that we have ever started over the last 2 years since our debut, which has produced a great platform for us. Now we can start building some more pace onto it. “We learned so much in the Desert Race and at the Kalahari and our speed and intensity is slowly building, so the objective is for more of the same with two more finishes a little further up the field in the NAMPO races.”

Thomas Bell returns to the South African Cross Country series for the first time since lockdown first started in his Motul branded VK56. “I really can’t wait to get back — it’s been way too long,’"Tom confirmed. “The South African series is a big part of my international training schedule and will be my first run with Argentine navigator Bruno Jacomy, so I am looking forward to a bit of an African adventure in a race car that I know well and rate very highly."

 

“As a team we are looking forward to the adventure that awaits us in Bothaville,” Terence Marsh concluded. “It’s going to be an interesting weekend for us — counting the sleeps to race day!"

*Red-Lined Motorsport Adventures competes with premium strategic partners, the Penta Motor Group, BFGoodrich, Motul, Dragon Energy, Jonnesway Tools, OMP, Expand a Sign and Wheel Collision.