The final leg of the 2025 National Rally Championship promises a high-octane spectacle this weekend, with 31 teams from across Namibia confirmed to compete.
Several of last year’s champions will return to defend their Shell V-Power/M+Z Rally titles and collect valuable points ahead of next year’s championship. Among the top contenders are Alan Martin and Maretha Olivier in their Skoda R5 (Class S4), Peer Rohm and Pieter Steyn (S2), and the experienced CR (off-road)-class team of Ekko Eisenberg and Horazio ‘Rassie’ Rietz (CR1).
While last year’s CR2 winners, Loic Bathfield and navigator Johan Steyn, are notably absent, rumours suggest their roaring CR6 machine may yet return to local rallying. Fans will have to wait until the weekend to see whether the speculation holds true.
Throughout the season, Top Revs has followed the competitors’ journey, witnessing strong camaraderie between teams, officials and sponsors.
“In the end, it’s not just about winning, but about bringing the car and crew home safely,” one driver has said.
Rallies are unpredictable and often gruelling, with mechanical failures and technical issues forcing several teams to retire mid-race.
This year’s entry list has grown by five compared to 2024 – a positive sign for Namibian motorsport.
Swakopmund rally driver and organiser Wido Bartsch says the overwhelming number of entries included several newcomers to the sport.
“Even if only three or four of these teams continue into the 2026 season, it will be a big boost,” he says.
Bartsch, himself a passionate racer, praises those making a return to the track.
“The passion is still there,” he says.
“People are standing up again and getting involved.”
A special highlight this year is the strong family participation.
Sisters Stefanie Botha and Mandi Landsberg will race together, while twins Kai and Katja Pretorius join siblings MP and Kata Pretorius on the grid. The Bartsch family is also fielding multiple teams: Bartsch senior with navigator Raymond Fourie in a Toyota Yaris (S4), Werner Bartsch and Christel Fourie in a Land Rover V8 Defender (CR2), and Annaline and her son Stefan Bartsch in a VW Polo (S2).
MP and sister Anja will compete in a powerful Renault Duster 5.0L V8 – the same vehicle previously driven by Ruaan Viviers. Meanwhile, Cecil Koorts is set to compete in the CR2 class with a new, as-yet-unannounced vehicle, promising strong competition in the off-road category.
Bartsch says the stages will differ from previous years, as none will be repeated, but they remain spectator friendly. He urges fans to obey marshals’ instructions and stay well clear of closed sections to ensure safety.
Seventeen entries were received in the CR class and 11 in the S (sedan) class.
The rally will conclude on Saturday at around 17h00 at the Swakop Plaza Hotel, allowing spectators to witness the season’s closing ceremony.
Spectator guides and stage maps are available on motorsport groups’ Facebook pages and on Motor Media Namibia’s social media platforms.
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