My penny’s worth.
author:
I read your article and would like to put in my penny’s worth.
I agree with you totally that Subaru’s should be allowed to compete in Regionals, although surely then, why should S20’s of 2600cc and over not be allowed to compete in nationals?
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Regional rallies - breeding ground for future champions or playground for everyone?
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The reason is simple. National competitors/sponsors, don’t want to be beaten as they were by 4x4 dune buggies or fancy racing trucks! Similarly some Regional competitors don’t want to be beaten by R250 000 plus 4x4 cars. The only difference is the reality that big money talks. Big S20’s are banned from Nationals, whilst anyone who suggests the same treatment against 4x4 cars in Regionals stands accused of not acting in the interest of rallying.
The playing fields in Regionals can easily be levelled by changing the scoring system, i.e. 4x4’s scoring, but as Seniors. Good idea, as anything other than highly developed and expensive 4x2’s have no chance at all against a 4x4, albeit driven by a mediocre driver.
On the subject of printing space available to “lower classes”, I disagree with your view. It is amazing that publications who purport to cover rallying, dedicate as much space as they do to the self-glorification of their own rallying efforts, however boring and insignificant as they may be. This, at the expense of genuine privateers, all be they in the “lower classes”. They need to show their small sponsors something if they are to continue their fledgling rally careers. No manufacturer or major sponsor has ever looked at anyone who has not first demonstrated his abilities.
Regionals are certainly the breeding ground of up and coming future National drivers. Your humour is as always appreciated, but you miss the point. Saunders, Ogden, Callie and like mentioned, are SAHRA competitors by choice and have long ago had their day in the sun and now rally for fun with no hidden agendas, ambitions or visions of grandeur. SAHRA constitutes possible ten cars on a Regional, the 4x4’s, four or five, the remaining 60-odd are potentially, the future stars.
History tells the story. Regionals do breed future National and Class champions.
ENZO KUUN : A Transvaal competitor in the early days, remember the ‘bread van”?
1993 Transvaal Champion, Conquest 1600
TJAARD V.D. WALT Transvaal Regional competitor Class A Golf
HERGEN FEKKEN Transvaal Regional competitor Conquest 1600
ETTIENNE LOURENS Natal Regionals Datsun Stanza
NICK RYAN Transvaal Regional Golf MK 1
JAN HABIG Natal and Transvaal Regionals
JOHNNY GEMMEL 1973 Corolla R.W.D.
The list goes on and on. These guys won’t rally forever. Where will the next crop come from? National Class N1’s - Please, give me a break!
Regards
(Forever Young) JOHN SAUNDERS
P.S. Fred van Zyl and Johan Prins’s “noses are out of joint” because they didn’t get a mention!
JOHN.
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