TRACN4 Rally to offer ultimate rallying experience for Mpumalanga fans
The TRACN4 Rally, regarded as the flagship round of the South African National Rally Championship, is back on November 18 and 19 in Dullstroom. This is the third consecutive year that this motorsport event, which boasts a strong local flavour for teams and spectators, is being held in the Emakhazeni region, which is renowned for its touristic vibe and deep-rooted culture.
This is the fourth year that TRAC is sponsoring this reputable event that not only forms part of the South African National Rally Championship, but is also the final leg of the national competition, which started in May in Bredasdorp, the Western Cape.
The theme for this year’s TRAC rally is “Going all out”, which is precisely what the competing teams have vowed to do in and around the quaint, picturesque town.
The SA National Rally Championship is the oldest consecutive running championship in South African motorsport. This year’s series has been one of the most memorable and action-packed yet, not only due to the consistently superb performance by most of the participating teams, but also for spectators now allowed at sports events following the lifting of Covid-19 regulations.
The 2022 TRACN4 Rally will be held over two days with several action-packed stages in the forest areas that envelope Dullstroom.
However, this rally is about more than just fast cars, sharp navigators and daredevil drivers - it is about uplifting the Emakhazeni community socially and economically and supporting the Dullstroom Epilepsy Centre, which has been the beneficiary of this event since 2020.
The facility, head office of Epilepsy SA for Mpumalanga and Limpopo, has been operating for years. It plays a pivotal role in the lives of people with epilepsy and their families in these two provinces’ rural areas, making it the ideal beneficiary of this event.
As in 2021, all this year’s rally proceeds will go towards the institution, which will again serve as rally headquarters and the media hub for the 2022 event. Some of the proceeds from the 2020 and 2021 rallies already enjoyed by the centre’s 80-plus residents and employees include refurbished residences, a newly painted roof, a paved main entrance and an upgraded spectator area around the sports field. TRAC hascommitted to upgrading the facility’s lapa area and refurbishing its function hall this year.
According to local business stakeholders, the TRACN4 Rally has become an annual highlight for the region of Emakhazeni, especially for the Dullstroom business community that relies on tourism for their livelihood. “The teams enjoy taking on the surrounding forest roads, which are generously made available and expertly maintained by Safcol and S&N Boerdery. Now that spectators are finally allowed again, we are confident that this year’s TRACN4 Rally will be an even more memorable occasion!”
The rally will be made up of 13 stages - six on the Friday, and seven on the Saturday. The stages will be on local private forestry roads, with the total distance for the two-day rally being 204.74km. The rally can be experienced from specially set-up spectator points, the location of which will be communicated on TRAC, NRC and Motorsport SA social media platforms. Rally enthusiasts unable to attend the event can catch the fast, thrilling action on all the SARallying social media pages and RaceDay TV, which will share the action live on various social media platforms.
For more information on the 2022 TRACN4 Rally, follow @TRACN4 or @SARallychamps on Facebook and Instagram or visit www.tracn4.co.za. The race secretary can also be contacted at lizelle@electrothread.co.za.