Rallystar – Looking back at 2004 and a message for 2005
author: Leon Botha
Looking back at 2004 – personally – it was a hell of a year. I seemed to have run around all year long trying to keep the website updated, send out sms messages whenever I could, organise sponsors for various instances, studied, lived a life, and in between also tried to make a bit of money.
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Serge Damseaux and Robert Paisley - 2004 champions
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Although time feels short at the end of a year it is never easy to remember everyone who made a difference to life over that specific period of time. The sorting out of who did what to whom, who did what for whom, and what remained standing after the full onslaught.
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Sebastien Loeb - 2004 World Champion
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On the WRC front we had a good albeit predictable year. Locally we had the same year as we had for the past about 10 seasons when either Serge or Habig won the championship. In the production car (N4) championship it was not a great spectacle watching one car pulverize the rest in a non-contest. In N3 the wheels came off for Wilken right in the end – must have brought some memories back for Fernando Rueda – as the same happened to him two years ago when I was lucky to win the 2002 N4 championship in the last 400 meters of the last stage of the last event of the year.
A7 was a bit one sided with the Polo of Hergen not wanting to play – maybe he should have picked a Playa? And so we can continue class-by-class – driver-by-driver. The question is – is there a ray of light anywhere?
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Hergen Fekken and Dave Lewkowicz - all sorts of gremlins bugged them during 2004?
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Is there any up and coming driver who will soon claim the title from the traditional title holders backed by the only two manufacturers really involved in rallying in South Africa?
Will Subaru react to the wake up call after Gemmel and van Niekerk changed from their marque to Mitsubishi and “their” flagship was sold to a Namibian – will Mitsubishi use the wonderful opportunity laid in front of their door and support the privateers who may hold the key to their break through on the South African market.
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Richard Behm - new hopeful on the scene
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Young Richard Behm is the one ray of hope on the scene. The car he is driving must be seen against past performances set by Rueda and measured against that background, Behm is a hell of a driver. He beat any previous record the car had achieved locally and led a national rally while the rest of the field had no excuses. The question is if he will get enough financial support to keep on growing or will he have to drive the car into the ground to try and keep up trying to prove that he has the talent and the killer instinct needed to round off his attack.
When I got my blood pressure under control after listening to the incredible statements made by Sarel van der Merwe during the TV coverage of the NPS Great North rally where no publicity was given to the actual sponsor of the event, I had to agree with one single thing he said during his uncalled for and misplaced attack on the rally Commission – when he said that it was good to see young blood coming onto the scene.
The era of the 40 plus year old winning titles has disappeared on the WRC scene, the cars are getting so sophisticated that they need to be driven technically correct rather than balls to the wall in a death defying manner. The times of the drivers are so close that splits of 100ths of seconds are required to separate their times through stages. A few seconds will determine an overall winner, while the power, the speed and toughness of the cars are uncanny.
In South Africa we will have to follow suit and look for young guns looking to make a career or semi-career of the sport notwithstanding what some of the 140-year-old look-alike-know-alls who think they control the sport, and sponsors, have to say about the marketing potential and the general opportunities offered. They have lost track of the sport and life years ago when they got so tangled in their own negativism, and it is a pity that the sport has to suffer because of their influence which has always been taken too seriously – mostly because they survive by indirectly threatening that they “think they should consider withdrawing from the sport” the moment they did not get their way.
I concede that the opportunities are scarce at the moment but the minute we start pulling together to get the sport in the right direction – the marketing potential will come to the fore. We are closer than even you and the mentioned “wise-men” may think.
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Pic by Erik de Jager
Charl Wilken in action during the Northern Regions Championship
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The second ray of light was Charl Wilken - although he did have the best equipment money could buy in N3 he showed tremendous improvement throughout his rally career and the “old wife’s” show of really up to shit driving he came up with during the NPS Great North Rally would probably be the last of that – as the car still broke down and he lost the championship to Rodney Visagie after a year of dedication from him and his team. Charl managed to win the regional championship – once again not without the right equipment, but he proved his point by out-driving others who could not hide behind the excuse of inferior machinery. It will be interesting to see what he will achieve in the company of Hergen Fekken and JP Damseaux in A7 next year.
Personally I would have enjoyed it more if Charl succeeded without the direct and indirect Toyota support, but I have no doubt that he would have made it to the top anyway – and what the hell – if you get the opportunity to drive the best, should you decline the offer to satisfy an old fart like me? He did prove himself on the track, so the breaks he got were well deserved.
I have also noted a young upstart in the SAHRA ranks – Cobus Groenewald – who seems to be able to get a lot out of nothing. The way he drove the really undeveloped car on some of these rallies was a revelation – and I expect a lot of this youngster in the future and given half a chance another SAHRA competitor – Schalk van Heerden (junior) will give a number of “acknowledged” drivers a run for their money.
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Stevan Wilken in action
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Stevan Wilken – also showed a lot of potential and slowly but surely, while being hampered by a lack of almost any sponsorship, he is battling thought the ranks in National Championship events.
There are more, lots more potential under the younger drivers but as is the case with 99% of the competitors they do not only suffer from the lack of money, sponsors, and the right equipment but as is the case with most teams, they lack the ability or courage to pick up a phone and say “Oom ek wil net sê dat ons die of daardie draai amper gemaak het as dit nie was dat …………..!” – they simply lack any enthusiasm or are too bloody lazy to report back on any of their progress. They cannot claim to be too shy as no driver will let an opportunity pass to tell all and sundry how good he is or at least confirm the fact when someone else acts as soothsayer – unfortunately they do tell the wrong people most of the time, and reporters have to wait for a prize giving to take note of a name.
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Dolf Coetzee and Irma du Plooy - Subaru Cape action
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One of my personal new year’s wishes is that you will all let me know what happened to you before and, or after events, that you will take the trouble to phone me, e-mail, sms, or fax me whenever you have the opportunity. This will make the sport more interesting – as it will tell us why you have or have not done as well as expected. You must realise that 75% of your career is based on publicity and you will not ever be well known if you do not get a mention in the news. Reporters are only human – they can only get to one place at a time, see one car at a time’ and do not have the time to ask around about you.
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Yet another ray of hope - Etienne du Toit in the McCarthy Toyota
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RallyStar SEMINAR
Rallystar will present a seminar during April 2005 on fundraising and sponsorship that you should attend. You will learn all we and the best in the game know about raising sponsors, getting publicity and with a bit of luck I will personally be able to update you on the latest trends in sponsorship worldwide after a congress in America during March. The seminar will be over two days and will cost R750 per person booking before 15 January 2005 (thereafter R1000 per person).
Please ensure that you book early as the seminar is open too all sport people and we have limited the numbers to be able to spend a bit of time with smaller groups. Bookings are open although the date and venue (either JHB or Pretoria) has not been finalised. (14 and 15 April seems to be the most popular dates.) Read more about this in our article on RallyStar 2005 or email by clicking (mail
Ronell@rallystar.co.zasponsorship, Click here for more info on the sponsorship seminar)
RallyStar RALLYCROSS TRACK
RallyStar 2005 will also tell you all about our new Rallycross track near Fourways where you will get the opportunity to show larger audiences how well you can drive a car. If you are interested in getting involved in our Corporate Xtreme days that will be held on the RallyStar Track, we would like to hear from you – you may be able to earn a bit of money on the side for your rally program. Most important of all you will get into contact with potential sponsors giving them first hand experience of your ability! The track is so well situated that it will be a great advantage to the sport. For more information or to let us know about your interest (mail.rallystar.co.za Rally Cross, Click here – I would like to be involved in RallyStar Rallycross Track activities.)
RallyStar SMS Service
We would also like to remind you about the RallyStar SMS service – if you have not registered yet for the 2005 massage service – please contact us and register. The registration form is available top right of this article.
May you and you family enjoy the best year ever during 2005 – and me we all manage to work together to build the sport to higher levels instead of diversifying it into a thousand useless pieces.
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