Summarize

Red-Lined Motorsport is quite literally champing at the bit to finally get down to racing in the delayed 2026 South African Rally-Raid Championship at the Century Outeniqua 600 near Uniondale in the Western Cape this weekend. The South African international race car maker has three cars entered in the Little Karoo race from 8 to 10 May.

“It’s been a long wait as we finally prepare to start the season after the opening round was postponed due to foot and mouth disease, but we are certainly now looking forward to going racing!” Red-Lined CEO Terence Marsh explains. “This season opener will follow straight after our Simola Hillclimb event so we will literally be moving from one race to the next while converting our race cars back to their Rally-Raid set up in between. 

“The three day multi stage Outeniqua 600 will however make up for lost time and opportunity as it offers competitors points-and-a-half scoring after the cancellation of the first event. It is once again going to be a tough event in around the Outeniqua mountains, but we are certainly targeting a competitive outing.”

Red-Lined Motorsport young guns Jayden Els and Johann Swemmer are keen on a good start to their 2026 season aboard their Red-Lined REVO T1+ GTR. “2025 was a bit of a baptism of fire with so many great runs cut short or delayed due to development challenges,” former Rotax Max karting world champion, and factory race driver Jayden explains. “We also know that we are busy developing a formidable weapon in our REVO T1+ GT-R so we hope all our pre-season development and testing eventually starts to pay off in some way.”

2025 SA Rally-Raid T1 class champions, Johan and Sean van Staden have in the meantime stepped up to a brand-new Ultimate SA T1+ class Red-Lined REVO T1+ V8.  “We are taking everything to the next level after last year’s championship win and the Red-Lined REVO T1+ V8 delivers the ideal overall package that we require to meet our future goals and objectives,” Johan points out. “It’s been a long break, so we can’t wait for the season to start.” 

The van Stadens will be lining up against the experienced Dutch couple, Dave and Tessa Klaassen’s who will be out once again in their similar DaklaPack Rallysport race machinery. Last year’s SA T1+ class winners at Outeniqua, Philip Botha and Stompie Mynhardt have business commitments together with the Heinlein brothers so they will unfortunately be sitting this one out. They are all targeting a return at the next round of the championship, the Parys 400.  

“The 640 kilometre Outeniqua event may be a late start to the South African Rally-Raid Championship, but it is also a significant season opener with some very handy bonus points on hand over three tough and demanding days of racing across the tough little Karoo,” Terence concludes. “Last year showed us just how challenging this event can be so we will all need to bring our A game if we want any results out of this season opener”

*Red-Lined Motorsport competes with premium strategic partners, the Penta Motor Group, VAPS HCV, BFGoodrich, Motul, Dragon Energy, MFC, OMP, Ingco South Africa and ExpandaSign.