Sumo wrestling, street fighting and all that jazz
author: Leon Botha
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Oh dear, oh dear! wat het gebeur??
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To say that 90% of what happened this week so far were either morally, ethically or legally sub-judice, will not be a lie.
I have been involved in sumo wrestling matches, street fights, bar brawls – you name it, this week I’ve been there, or so it feels. Worse of all is the fact that I cannot tell you about half the things that happened – not yet anyway! But rest assured it will be worth watching these pages carefully over the next few days, weeks, months and probably years.
I have a funny feeling that many devoted but up to now quiet rallyists have had enough of the bullshit going on around certain aspect of this game. The “having had enoughs” definitely includes me, so I am sure you will not mind if I call the dissatisfied bunch, ‘we’ or ‘us’?
We have now had enough of sitting watching the paint on the wall dry, we have had enough of hearing about all the things that should be done to improve the sport, while nothing at all happens, except that we apparently have managed to gather money in the bank instead of applying it to the benefit of the sport. Problem is that we cannot push too hard as I am not sure that whoever is in control of the matter, really knows how to move forward. Well, either that, or they are too scared to make any sudden (like 2.24km/h over a distance of one millimetre) movement?
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What the hell...?
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I have been battling – and pardon my reverting back to “I” - for a number of years to get some life put into the sport. My attempts to keep for instance the money spend on N4 under control, to allow the sport to be dominated by skill rather than cheque books, came to naught.
Now that a manufacturer or two are building N3 models overseas which can be obtained at a good price, the rules for N3 will not be changed to allow limited-slip-diffs and competition gearboxes. In the one class we allowed things to go totally over board while in the next we are clinging to the past – making the cars unspectacular, and also slower than what they need to be.
Our present series sponsorship structures are allegedly (no one has seen the agreement, except the two or three people who apparently signed it) such that it has become intolerable – as it keeps event sponsors out of the picture, while in my humble opinion the Series Sponsor should not have any effect whatsoever over individual events, more about this later.
As if this was not enough a certain rally competitor in a moment of (hopefully?) hysteria a few days after the event – it is difficult to say when it is normal talk and when hysteria – accused me of giving certain drivers “inside information” because I told Serge I did not want to commit myself when he rightfully asked me if I would have fitted dry or wet weather tyres during the Osram rally, if I were competing.
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Its no joke....
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Funny enough that some crews saw the fact that I put my phone number on the first page of the Competitor Notes as an invitation to phone me with any question they had, while other (thank God not more than two) saw that as a benefit to other’s and not to them. Talk about unfair self-discrimination!
On this point I need to say that I always limit myself as close as possible to the information that is in writing, and will only add information regarding for instance the conditions, such as dry, wet, rough – or in simple understandable language – Yes, it is dry. The surface is firm, every stage has rocky portions etc.
Last year before I started doing the ‘notes’ the rally commission via Dieter felt that the purpose of the exercise was merely to check the instructions and not to write any notes. Although I did go a bit further than that I refrained from grading corners, yumps etc. In other words I did not say slow, medium or fast anywhere, as this would immediately have led to a situation where I say “fast right” – while certain drivers may feel that it was a medium and others that I slowed them down, as they saw it as a “maximum corner”.
So, I decided to try and stick to a certain standard – by warning about “surprises” rather than writing pace notes.
Flip Wilken always laughs when I talk to him about the making of the notes and or problems connected to it – because he told me right in the beginning that I will never be able to satisfy everybody and that this would remain a thankless job. The thankless part actually went further as it had also cost me a lot of time and money, while it has also been said that I claim R7500 or something ridiculous for doing the job – I wish! If you would like to know the actual situation – I have a bit of a surprise for you. I actually managed to rally for less than what it cost me to do these notes.
It is always a battle to get a vehicle, it is a battle to fit in with the times arranged by the organisers, then some of them see you as the enemy, and goodness help you if you dare criticise. It is a battle to get there and back, to find budget accommodation etc. etc. but still, it is and will always remain impossible to make you all happy – let alone keep you in that frame of mind.
I will stand a lot, don’t mind fair criticism, don’t mind not being thanked, or paid, but what I will not stand for is bullshit from competitors with no reflexes, common sense or real driving ability. I will not take the blame when a person screws up behind the steering wheel, and I will definitely not stand for anyone implying that I give information to any person, that is not available to all. Not from the crew, service crew, friends or family hanging around. Funny that the persons who did go off in SS1 on the Osram all admitted not reading page one of the notes where the circumstances were explained to them in detail.
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Now I is de moer in.......
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So, if you have anything to say about this, how about sending me an e-mail, sending me an sms, phoning me like 21 other competitors did – sorry 22 counting the one who did actually imply the improper conduct!
I can actually get back into a rally car, and considering the number of super stars and experts present these days, I will probably have to be satisfied to drive there at the back of the field, but then one real pro said to me: “Man fork the idiots – the guys who can drive appreciate what you do, and understand the problems around it. Just do it and don’t worry about the rest…” – ja well, no fine – easier said than done.
Then again I see some of the genuine efforts put in by good drivers, and I think about the fact that someone has to keep on trying to up the quality, get the right sponsors into the sport (and it now seems to keep them will be an issue), make sure that rallying grow and flourish – then to my whole family’s disappointment I decide to give it one more go!
The competitor notes are now at a stage where most rallies have been sorted out, as we seem to run over the same stages year in and out. The Osram will net year be one of the best rallies – all the potential is there, all it needs is for the mistakes to be ironed out.
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You will never keep everybody happy!
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So, for once, stand up and say your say, or forever keep your peace and concentrate on improving the driving ability rather that sit looking for mistakes of other people. It is normally those looking for reasons to criticise, who need to find excuses to blame other people for what they screwed up themselves.
p.s. Don’t kak yourself if you see your name mentioned on this website, if you are brave enough to walk around shooting your mouth off about things you really know nothing about.
To those of you who found the time to phone or write me a message – thank you kindly – I am the first to realise that all was not perfect on the Osram, but honestly I did my best to make it work and I am glad most of you got though without too much damage. To Japie and Adriaan, sorry mates, and thank God it was really not my mistake where you guys came short. Japie, although he feels strong about pace notes, said when asked what went wrong, "I rolled where Greg specifically told me 'this is really a 90 right' - I simply entered too fast, end of the story, but I am learning!" and so say all of us, after he easily stayed in third position overall until the mishap.
Let’s all therefore work together to get the current system to work for us, at least until such time as the Rally Commission realises that the only way to do this will be by allowing everyone to do their own pace notes, or at least to get a pace note specialist, to do the pace notes on behalf of everyone.
We are aware of the problems regarding time, money, permission and all that, but unfortunately the equipment used on rallies can not be bought or replaced for R15 000 anymore. The speeds achieved are too high to risk this situation any further, and although they are supposed to keep their eyes open as well, drivers do seem to rely on everything their navigators tell them. "T-junction fork straight" - oh shit I am shot!!!
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