In the Special Vehicle category, all the ingredients are in place for a cracker of a race.

A combination of tight championship positions and contrasts in styles set the scene for what is likely to turn into an intriguing race. On top of that there is the tradition Desert Race sting in the tail to take into account.

In the overall and Class A championship only four points separate Karl-Heinz and Quintin Sullwald (Sullwald Racing Zarco), last year?s winners, and former South African champion Terence Marsh and Pieter Groenewald in the Regent Racing BAT. Both teams have a measured approach to their racing and the Desert Race will be their cup of tea.

Hermann Sullwald and Paul Helberg, in a second Sullwald Racing Zarco, will also fancy their chances as will 2006 winners Nick and Ryan Harper (Atlas Copco BAT) and co-driver turned driver Mike Whitehouse and Mathew Carlson in the second Regent Racing BAT. No one wins the Toyota Kalahari Botswana 1000 Desert Race on the first day, but there are some chargers in the field who provide the race with fascinating contrasts.

Leading the charger brigade are the likes of reigning champions Evan Hutchison and Achim Bergmann (Motorite BAT) and Nissan Sugarbelt 400 winners Gary Bertholdt and Andre Vermeulen in the Atlas Copco Porter. Both crews resurrected their championship hopes on the Sugarbelt and will be looking to carry the renaissance a step further.

Brandon Harcus, partnered by eight time Desert Race winner Richard Leeke in the second Motorite entry, is also a charger and Shameer Variawa/Siegfried Rousseau (Total Porter) are due for a win. Veterans Nardus Alberts/Collin Hunter (Wrapsa BAT) jumped back to form on the Nissan Sugarbelt 400 and Pieter Ruthven and de Waal Boshoff will be looking for a solid performance in the Ruwacon BAT.

Former winner Mark Corbett and Rudy Balzer (Century Property Developments CR1) will be looking to get to the end and Colin Mathews/Alan Smith (BAT) and Clint Gibson/Gary Campbell (Gibson Plant Hire BAT) are good outside bets. Rob Wark, one of only three drivers to win the event in a singleseater, will also be looking for a good result along with son Gareth in the Superpave BAT.

The scene for a good race is also set in Class B where tight championship battles also add a little interest to proceedings. Louw de Bruin, reunited with Rudi Britz in the Ruwacon BAT, leads the drivers championship.

The younger crews, however, are up against some wily old campaigners. The Desert Race is the sort of event veteran Giel Nel, partnered by Deon de Kock in the LUK Africa Truggy/Zarco, relishes.

Bez Bezuidenhout and Johann de Bruyn (Adenco BAT) also have plenty of experience and will know how to pace themselves. Jan Kraaij and Tiddo Voogt (Keymax BAT) returned to form on the Nissan Sugarbelt 400 and Simon Beckett/Steve Harris (Century Property Developments BAT) had a good result in KZN.

The form book in Class P, which has replaced Class S, has been turned upside down. Reigning Class S champions Richard Schilling and Chris Davies (Aceco RS) have yet to finish a race this season and Nic Goslar and Richard Carolin (Men?s Health International Raceco) have not fared much better.

KZN crew Don Thompson and Don Blakey (Zarco) have come from nowhere with a win and a second giving them a comfortable championship lead. Brothers David and Gary White (Ruwacon BAT) and Johan and Etienne Bezuidenhout (Adenco BAT) have also won this season and will be full of confidence.

But you cannot buy experience. On this basis the likes of Schilling/Davies and Goslar/Carolin can be expected to bounce back after disappointing starts to the season.