The new Super Production Class, which will replace Class T in the Production Vehicle category of the Absa Off Road Championship, will be launched at the Toyota 1000 Desert Race in Botswana.

Three manufacturers have committed to Class SP, as it will be known.

Nissan Motorsport has committed to entering two Nissan Hardbody pickups for reigning Production Vehicle Driver Champion, Hannes Grobler, and new co-driver Francois Jordaan and Class D champions Alfie Cox and Ralph Pitchford.

The Castrol Toyota team will field two Toyota Hiluxes for Mark Cronje and Chris Birkin and Gavin Cronje and Robin Houghton while Team Ford Racing will initially campaign a Ford Ranger for Neil Woolridge and Kenny Skjoldhammer with Manfred Schroder scheduled to move from Class D to Class SP after the Botswana event.

Nissan and Ford will continue racing their Class T vehicles for the first two events of the season while Toyota will concentrate its efforts on Class D and Class E.

“The Super Production Class is an exciting development in South African off road racing,” said MSA Off Road Car Racing Commission President, Piet Swanepoel. “The specifications for Class SP are designed to make the vehicles more affordable for the manufacturers and for privateers wishing to make the transition to the top class.”

“The vehicles will look and sound the same and be almost as fast as the existing Class T vehicles and, more importantly, be very affordable.”

Original article from Car