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KOTM 2008

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Author: Patrick Vermaak

Publishing date: 16.11.2008 13:20

Pic by Patrick Vermaak
Capital Sound guru Brian Emmenis on Gydo

05h15 on Saturday 15 November and we have just entered Ceres enroute to Gydo Mountain Pass. Reaching the startline of the 2008 King of the Mountain Race suddenly had Mr Sound aka Brian Emmenis return to life and within less than an hour the Gydo Mountain Pass became a professional sound studio on paper with the prospects of a qualified sound engineer strategically placed at four base points and taking motorsport commentary in general to a new dimension in South Africa.

Pic by Patrick Vermaak
Capital Sound taking the lead

Pic by Patrick Vermaak
Brian Emmenis - Polizai Lamborghini Gallardo

Diarise 100.5 Fm frequency as this will become known as KOTM Radio. Expected to have a range of some 40km radius the entire Bokkeveld district will be able to tune into KOTM 2008. This radio station will be active from 09h00 till 18h30 Saturday and Sunday (exact times to be confirmed shortly) – keeping everyone up to date with procedures on the Pass, background information on each entry, up to date results, commentary and also sponsor details.

Pic by Patrick Vermaak
Dave Malan and Brian Emmenis

Bring your portable radio / receiver (cellphone – field ears and the like) and you will not miss anything happening during the 2008 KOTM event. Regular commentators on the mountain such as Pieter Swanepoel, John Floyd, Neels Rabe and Justin Hoskins will for the first time experience a professional sound production by the best in the business – Capital Sound.

Note! No private vehicles will be allowed in the mountain! We request your assistance in keeping the pass safe at all times please. Official vehicles will be easily identified.

Pic by Patrick Vermaak
Commentators - Brian Peek - Nick van der Meulen - Justin Hoskins and Brian Emmenis

Brian Emmenis is a household name internationally as one of the very best Airshow commentators and sound specialists in the world. He has been the voice of Airshows everywhere in South Africa for longer than even he cares to remember and have been building a similar reputation in other sporting categories such as the Duzi and Midmar Mile.

Pic by Patrick Vermaak
Brian x 3 - Hoskins - Emmenis - Jefferies

Every inch of the 6.4km 26 corner route will be covered in crystal clear sound come 29/30 November 2008. Having spent the day analyzing everything sound in person even better results are being anticipated for the event, it’s simply going to be a blast!

Pic by Patrick Vermaak
SA champion navigators Guy Hodgson and Pierre Arries with Brian Emmenis

Brian Hoskins - Brian van Breda Smith - Brian Jefferies – Brian Peek – Brian Emmenis had one feeling that stuttering was a problem at Killarney but the Wesbank race meeting was certainly providing fantastic action on the circuit and the visiting Freestater was pleasantly surprised to see the volume of spectators present. Brian Emmenis particularly impressed with the numbers and atmosphere present on the day. A quick introduction to the resident Killarney commentators, Frank Heunis, Justin Hoskins, Brian Peek, Gary Fleming, and Nick van der Meulen was followed by a visit to Race Control where he encountered Brian Hoskins (the 2008 Western Cape Junior Rally Navigators Champion), Assistant Clerk of the Course, Arlene Brown and the rest of the team.

Pic by Patrick Vermaak
Hodgson smooching Arries!

Pic by Patrick Vermaak
Funny looking Hergen and very aged Junior Arries

Accepting the invitation to join Dave Malan in the magnificent Lamborghini Cape Town Polizia Gallardo pace car it was a rather wide eyed Emmenis that extricated himself from the blue car. Then the BP Ultimate S2000 VW Polo cars of Hergen Fekken and Enzo Kuun arrived at the circuit with Michiel Barnard heading the promotional venture in the No 1 car. Should anything be read in the fact that it was Junior Hoskins navigating. Gesturing towards the tall lever in the middle had Barnard threatening him before leaving the pitlane!

Pic by Patrick Vermaak
Sarel van der Merwe - Still winning!

Pic by Patrick Vermaak
Sleek looking APV 347 Series for the "ou manne"

Guy Hodgson and Pierre Arries was present and the latter was congratulated publicly with a traditional Hodgson slobbering smooch which everyone except Arries found very entertaining! Well done to BP, VW, Hergen Fekken and our own (WP) Pierre Arries as the 2008 Sasol SA Rally Champions!

Pic by Patrick Vermaak
Pieter Swanepoel and Brian Emmenis

Sarel van der Merwe returned to show the youngsters how to drive the Owen Ashley designed VW Masters APV 347 Mustangs, winning the first ever race of the series in the development car normally driven by Neil Hawkins. Like any good red wine Sarel simply matures with age – die ou man kan! Winning heat 2 after Sarel slowed with mechanical problems was KOTM regular, Dawie Joubert. Normally racing the likes of his Lotus Exige Motorsport or phenomenal Ariel Atom 2.4 the Paarl racer showed that he will be a force to be reckoned with in the new series.

Pic by Patrick Vermaak
Neville Young and Brian Emmenis

Pic by Patrick Vermaak
Brennon Green bounces past opposition

Another KOTM regular to impress was Charles Arton and the good news is that the No 16 car will in fact be present on the Gydo KOTM.

Pic by Patrick Vermaak
Brennon Green with Brian Emmenis

Brennon Green is one of the most talented drivers from the West Coast and was down to contest the Engen VW Polo Cup series. Unfortunately heat one saw him collect the car in front of him on the startline when it failed to pull off the startline when the flag dropped and heat two saw him fight back well. Also present was Saldanha based Herman Scholtz in his ex-Willie Hepburn classic modified Mazda Rotary. Hopefully Herman will also find the the time to be present at KOTM 2008 in either the Mazda or the Porsche – or even better – both!

Pic by Patrick Vermaak
Last outing for Sasol Nissan squad

Pic by Patrick Vermaak
Dawie Olivier 2x KOTM winner

Having just returned from a tour of Nissan Japan had Neville Young grinning from ear to ear and leaving little time to prepare the Paul Newman lookalike No 33 Datsun 280Z for the mountain. Unfortunately Charl van Sittert destroyed his Seesa BMW 325iS during Thursday practice but the Jonnesway Chevrolet Lumina SS 5.7 of Peet van der Walt looked ready for business where it was displayed in front of the WPMC Clubhouse. Doug and Jon Williams still confident that they will indeed become the first S2000 entry on the KOTM with their Trident Press VW Polo 4x4 2.0.

Pic by Patrick Vermaak
Dawie Olivier in his privately run Subaru

On the subject of rally cars news came in that Jean-Pierre Damseaux and André Vermeulen had won their second consecutive Total Tara Rally and young Ashley Haigh-Smith and Hilton Auffray placed a ninth overall and 1st in class S1 with the Team REACT Toyota Yaris 1.3.

Next weekend will see the social Misverstand Rally Day at Club Elani between 10h00 and 16h00. Come and introduce your team to the media representatives!

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