Toyota team in Namib desert

The Imperial Toyota South Africa Team to contest the 2012 Dakar Rally in South America in January returned to Johannesburg on Sunday after three and a half days of sand testing in Namibia. Former South African off road champion and 2009 Dakar Rally winner Giniel de Villiers and four-time national champion Duncan Vos between them completed over 1500 kilometres of driving in the two Imperial Toyota Hilux double cab pickups that will compete in the premier T1 class of the world’s longest and toughest motor race.
“One word sums up the past few days – invaluable,” said team manager Glyn Hall. “It’s been a long and tiring exercise, more than 2 400 km by road from our home base, in a remote part of Namibia, with the team working from before dawn until after sunset every day. However, we’ve learnt a great deal and successfully completed a major part of our preparation for the big race in January,” said team principal Glyn Hall.
“If we hadn’t gone to Namibia, despite all the testing we’ve done throughout the current Absa Off Road Championship season, we wouldn’t be in the strong position we are today.