- Jones and Naidoo second in NRC2 at Dullstroom.
- Kes Naidoo wins NRC2 co-driver championship.
- Mark Jones runner-up on 118 points.
- Bruce Swatton takes NRC2 drivers’ title on 129.
- Programme may expand for 2027 season.
Kes Naidoo has won the 2026 NRC2 co-driver championship after finishing second in class with Mark Jones at the TRAC N4 Dullstroom National Rally, the final round of the National Rally Championship. The result for the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing South Africa (TGRSA) crew also confirmed Jones as runner-up in the NRC2 drivers’ standings behind class champion Bruce Swatton.
Retirements shape the Dullstroom finale
Johan Strauss and Caro Storm set the early pace in their Subaru Impreza, chased by Dawie van der Merwe and Matt Kohler. Bruce Swatton and Craig Reyneke ran third, Lynton Swatton and Tommy Coetzee fourth, and Jones and Naidoo fifth in their Toyota GR Yaris through the opening stages.
Saturday proved decisive. Strauss was the first of the leading group to retire, followed by van der Merwe, before Bruce Swatton rolled heavily two stages from the finish. He was taken to hospital as a precaution and, aside from some bruising, was reported to be fine. Lynton Swatton and Coetzee inherited the class win, with the Toyota pair second.
GR Yaris repaired overnight
A hard landing over a triple-dip combination four kilometres from the end of Friday’s final stage damaged the radiator, intercooler piping and exhaust, leaving the car without power and the crew briefly stranded. They coaxed it clear and limped to service, where TGRSA mechanics worked through the night to replace the parts. Saturday was clean and incident-free.
“We genuinely thought we were out of the rally, stuck on the stage,” said Jones.
Final NRC2 championship standings
Jones ends the season on 118 points, 11 behind Bruce Swatton on 129 and eight clear of third-placed Lynton Swatton on 110. Naidoo took the co-driver crown on 118 points, ahead of Tommy Coetzee on 110.
Team manager Leeroy Poulter said the car began the year with a manual gearbox and standard suspension and “has turned into something that can genuinely fight for the NRC2 championship”. Jones described the season as being about development and mileage rather than chasing points.
TGRSA plans for 2027
With the 2026 season complete, the team now turns to the 2027 campaign, which may see the programme expand.
Supplied by MotorPress (Riaan Esterhuysen, Senior Manager: PR & Corporate Communication, Toyota South Africa)
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