Toyota has a proud heritage when it comes to the sport of rallying, especially in South Africa, where the manufacturer has won many championships over multiple decades of rallying. Lately, Guy Botterill and navigator Simon Vacy-Lyle have been flying the flag for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing SA, both within South Africa and on the African continent as a whole.
The pair sealed the 2019 championship in style, adding to a host of championships they had won before, making them one of the top Toyota crews in South African rallying history. They have some big boots to fill, however, as drivers such as Serge Damseaux and Leeroy Poulter set the bar extremely high in their time.
Over the years, names like Damseaux and Poulter became synonymous with Toyota and rallying, but they had many colleagues, including stars like Johnny Gemmell, Hergen Fekken, Giniel de Villiers, Etienne Lourens and more.
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing SA was also the first works team in South Africa to field two female navigators, in the form of Carolyn Swan (who navigated for Fekken and De Villiers); and Elvene Coetzee (now Vonk), who sat beside Leeroy Poulter during his time in the South African National Rally Championship. Elvene's father is Kassie Coetzee, a legendary figure in cross-country racing.
