The 2026 South African Rally-Raid Championship is set to get off to a stimulating start with the upcoming Outeniqua 600 that will take place over three days on 8, 9 and 10 May from Louvain Guest Farm in the picturesque Garden Route in the southern Cape. This event will now form the first round of the season after the initial season opener that was scheduled for the Stella area in the North-West Province was postponed due to the outbreak of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD).
Image : Dave Ledbitter
The Outeniqua 600 Endurance race also brings longstanding off-road loyalists, the Corbett family, who have participated in the various facets of the sport since 1996 on board as the title sponsors of this prominent event,
with the international and local award-winning Century Property Developments and the highly celebrated and respected race car constructor Century Racing.
“It is always extremely rewarding when esteemed competitors and commercial enterprises, who have enjoyed the successes and comradery of our sport invest in promoting the aura of the sport,” said SARR CEO Archie Rutheford
The Outeniqua event, that took place for the first time in September last year in the Herold area between George and Uniondale in the Upper Langkloof flanked by the Kouga and Kammanassie mountain ranges towards the north and the Outeniqua mountains to the south, proved to be extremely popular with competitors and spectators alike and was voted by the competing teams as the 2025 SARRC Event of the Year.
It is also the only event on the calendar that brings a round of the national championship to the Western Cape Province and with the race less than 500 kilometres from Cape Town, it is the perfect weekend away to experience spectacular Rally-Raid action in a breathtaking area.
Louvain Guest Farm, adjacent to the N9 halfway between George and Uniondale, will again be the perfect host from where all the action will take place. The Start/Finish on each day will be here while the Race Headquarters as well as the Designated Service Point (DSP) will also be situated on the farm that is easily accessible from the N9.
The Century Property Developments and Century Racing Outeniqua 600 will be an endurance race that will test competitors on Friday, Saturday and Sunday over a race distance of 566 kilometres. The structure of the event also rewards finishers with one and a half points, an encouraging incentive towards the 2026 championship challenges.
There is, however, a sting in the tail – with the bulk of the route being the same route as 2025 but run in reverse, and some new additions to add more spice, transforming the battleground into a level playing for all. The consolation being that May and June are rated as the best two months of the year, and less dust and wind can be expected.
To add to the challenge SARR has introduced the use of electronic Road Books for all competition vehicles and this digital Road Book Reader (RBR) system will be used for the first time.
This digital navigation system has been tried and tested and not only ensures competitors are operating in accordance with international rally-raid event standards, including the Dakar Rally, but also offers competitors and the SARR management a host of functionalities to better manage event requirements and competitor eventualities.
An action-packed weekend awaits competitors, spectators and supporters in the Garden Route.
On Friday, 8 May the racing action will get underway at 09:30 when teams will travel approximately eight kilometres from Louvain Guest Farm to the start of the Qualifying Race. The racing section will comprise 49 kilometres and the results will determine the starting order for Stage One, a 95-kilometre section that will start at 13:00 at the DSP where it will also finish.
With the results of the first day’s racing in the bag, a big day of racing awaits when competitors take on Stages Two and Three on Saturday. They will depart for Stage Two at 08:30 in the order of the results established on the first day with a 165-kilometre stage awaiting them. Upon completion of the stage, they return to the DSP for a compulsory 30-minute decontrol where service crews are allowed to attend to the vehicles while the competitors can stretch their legs and replenish themselves before taking on Stage Three – a repeat of the same 165-kilometre stage. The finish will be at Louvain Guest Farm.
Yet another day of racing awaits competitors on Sunday where they will start out on Stage Four at 08:30. This section will be familiar as it will be the 95-kilometre stage completed on Friday. The race will finish at the guest farm where the podium ceremonies will take place.
“Like last year, the Century Property Development and Century Racing Outeniqua 600 will again offer competitors a unique variation of terrain,” stated Race Director, Evan Hutchison. “The routes will include fast, open lowlands as well as technical mountain pass climbs including the old ox-wagon trail which dates back to 1776 when it was used as a trade route between the Langkloof Valley and the coast and runs along the ridge of the mountain,” detailed Hutchison.
With a combination of mountain passes, river crossings, game farm style roads and some fast, open challenging sections, competitors can push their vehicles to the limit while enjoying the scenery.
And at Louvain Guest Farm, known for its superb event hosting, visitors and spectators can relax and enjoy the breathtaking beauty of the area. Food and refreshments will be available while the pit area will be open to the public who can meet the teams and get up close to the formidable race vehicles.
