HiQ RALLYSTAR SERIES HOTTING UP
author: Leon Botha
|
|
Tjaart and Marie van der Walt on their way to the top Silverware!
|
It may have been just another Saturday or simply another HiQ Rallysprint, but something strange was in the cold Highveld air?
Was it soccer frustration, rugby Bakkies Botha humiliation, the uphill battle most of us have to progress in motorsport, or was it simply a matter of determination to drive a car as hard as possible?
|
|
Carel Scholly and Charlie Knox - while the going was still good!
|
The pace has never been quicker or more determined and the fact that we did have one small mishap when on competitor had a soft roll, was actually a miracle!
|
|
...and the dice is on. Jose leading Jaco by a nose on the pull-away!
|
When the first two cars kicked off the HiQ Rallystar Sprint I truly though we were in for a Benoni Demolishing Derby.
When I say it was cold on Saturday morning - I mean it was really cold! On arrival I though a wind of change had blown over Rallystar and for once a few things I have been begging for may have happened.
I though the tyres were all painted a pure "brilliant white" but then I realised that it was frost that lay all over the place. Our super fish in the pond swam very slowly under a abut 5cm layer of ice and the farm birds all wore boots and socks!
|
|
Christoff Snyders trying to keep up on accelleration with that mean little mother Datsun!
|
As I said it was cold and a few sissies did not come out to play!
|
|
Jaco just pipping Jose to the line!
|
A number of the regulars had things on like Andre Stander's daughter got married - which meant that we actually lost two regular cars, but at least one of the cars pitched up - the one Sarel Coetzer bought from Andre recently. I am not sure but I could swear I saw Andre running in and out just to check and see if all was well in that camp?
Tjaart Conradie was missing and let me rather not mention a few youngsters who hopefully are not so quick that they are satisfied that the sprints can not teach them anything anymore?
Maybe you should come fetch a hiding from one of the beautiful Lourens twin sister?
|
|
Etienne and Michelle Lourens
|
At first Michelle and Janine were just great to look at when out of the car, now they are even greater to look at while in the cars, nailing it around the Rallystar stages!
When the time came for the first test, the cars lined up approximately well balanced. Drivers took on or tried to take on level peckers! Here and there a "miss-match" started but in most cases the two cars went over the final jump almost next to each other!
The spectators moved closer and closer to the fence - and from the first green light on the starting robot we all knew we were in for a hell of a treat!
The Class B Toyota Conquest came screaming out of the blocks and from the first corner I could see that Tjaart van der Walt was going to drive the cleanest fastest lines through the corners and that if you wanted to achieve anything in this sprint you either needed a hell of a car and drive like an expert or get a hiding! No second options!
|
|
Piet Bakkes and Johan Aucamp enjoying their first visit to the HiQ Sprint series!
|
Predictably he did the first Super Special in 2m25.03s and beat second placed Christo Carstens by 1.36s.
Third fastest were Christo Snyders and birthday girl Monica Aucamp only 2.07s off the winning time! It needs to be said that there is simply no comparison between the winning Conquest and the 3rd placed Golf. The fact that we use straight forward cubic centimetres to determine classes has its problems, but boy oh boy, does it force you to drive like a champion to stay in touch.
I hear the phrase "if only I had more power" quite often in my daily dealings with motorsport people, and more often than not I want to say to the person, "The day you can drive what you have to the limit, then, and only then, should you wish for more power!"
The day you take a standard no-tuned Daewoo 1500 and you out-drive a good driver in a Toyota Twin-cam 1600 that is probably not all that legal to start with, that is when we can talk more power and blue underwear! While you still brake to soon, go down a gear when you see a bump, go up one and land in shit when you see two spectators, blame everyone but yourself for your own incompetence, we will talk driving lessons and pink underwear!
|
|
Man oh man! One to the Off-road Andre Pretorius - second in Class C
|
Jaco Venter with Tommy du Toit in the navigation seat made a welcome comeback and posted fourth fastest on his first run over the Super Special at Rallystar!
The van Heerden Duo managed fifth fastest in the green screamer Nissan, while Jose Ferreira with brand new rookie navigator Paul McLean came home in 6th.
Nico Higgs and Etienne Lourens had a disappointing start in the normally very quick Malokiba Toyota Tazz and somehow I knew the car was not going to last. It simply was not its crispy self!
Young Lukas van der Merwe and Andre Swart in the spectacular but slightly over powered Datsun GX coupe managed 8th while Grant Reed and Tommy du Toit put in a steady drive to finish 9th in the first test.
|
|
Grant Reed and Tommy du Toit going for a jump record in a Rallystar Subaru!
|
Piet Bakkes and Johan Aucamp posted 10th fastest on Piet's first drive over the very intimidating Super Special.
Sadly the Lourens twins, Janine and Michelle had to be content to receive MaxCap times for the first two tests while mom, Trudie, had to chase up and down to try and get a spare side shaft back to the team as soon as she could.
What was supposed to be a slow warm-up drive by the service crew, turned into a broken parts nightmare!
The ever so eager Carel Scholly and Charlie Knox also had to take MaxCap after a bit of a slow start!
|
|
Christoff Snyders and missing navigator - we forgive Monica as it was her birthday!
|
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the MaxCap system - it is the reverse of what we seem to get in rallies. At Rallystar we try to keep everyone in the running and have successfully prevented competitors from having to go home soon!
MaxCap is a fair time over the stage and not the slowest time plus some penalty.
The moment MaxCap kicks in, any driver who completed the stage in an 'abnormally slow time' also gets the benefit. In other words if a driver had a problem and he completed the test in say 3minutes, while the MaxCap formula shows 2m45s as a slow drive through - then that driver also gains 15 seconds which eliminates some of the problem he had! In rallying you get a crew of old farts standing around who can not wait to slap on something extra to make sure that you have wasted your time and money!
|
|
Oh dear - Stefanie Hugo lands between the Flying Goose and rookie nav Paul!
|
|
|
Meet the "Schalkenator" and his dad!
|
The main thing is that MaxCap keeps you in as long as you go into the last test. Can you then be a finisher after only entering into the final test? Yes you can, but you sure as hell won't get a trophy for your efforts!
Jaco Venter trimmed Tjaarts tail feathers somewhat in test two when he beat him by a healthy 2.28s while Schalk van Heerden posted a fantastic third fastest time, while keeping the normally sideways Skyline slightly straighter and neater through the corners. The Skyline could not wait for him to apply the power the moment everything straightened out, but nothing, I tell you nothing can close a straight line quicker than that traditionally white, red and blue Datsun GX Coupe with van der Merwe behind the steering wheel. My liewe moer, that car is not quick, it is bloody scary! It looks as if it had been launched out of a catapult every time he hits the juice!
|
|
Mama Mia! Lucas putting the Datsun through its paces!
|
The moment he manages to get that power under control, we will have a new legend on the sprint series!
After completion of the first Super Special Jaco Venter and Tommy du Toit were leading the field by 0.16 of a SECOND from Tjaart and Márie van der Walt! Schalk and Schalk were in third overall, while Christo Carsten and Angela Shields held onto fourth.
|
|
Sarel Coetzer and Stefan Venter getting used to their new acquisition!
|
Jose Ferreira and Paul McLean were fifth, followed by 6th. Nico Higgs and Etienne Lourens, 7th Christoff Snyders and Monica Aucamp, 8th the flying tema of Lukas van der Merwe and Andre Swart, 9th Grant Reed and Tommy du Toit while the top10 was completed by Gerhard and Monica Aucamp.
The long test 3 went to Tjaart van der Walt when he took almost a second per kilometre from all comers, but the steady drive of rookie Christo Carsten with rookie navigator Angela Shields, stole the lime-light. Neat, comfortable and fast!
Jose Ferreira and very, very rookie navigator Paul McLean posted a very credible third fastest.
A repeat of this incredible stage followed immediately and this time Christo Carsten cam closer to Tjaart, but the latter still smiled from ear to ear building his lead by yet another 5.29s.
|
|
|
Meet the "Schalkenator" and his dad!
|
Schalk van Heerden managed third fastest, while Christoff Snyders did not fool around to post 4th quickest in a much less powerful car. I would like to see him in action in the newly acquired ex-Stevan Wilken Polo! I have some sad news for a few other drivers who think they are quite fast enough! This young man simply drives clean, crisp and the fastest possible lines to ensure that he gets between points A and B in the shortest possible time! That of course is something some drivers have not even discovered yet - that rallying is abut getting from point A to B in the shortest possible time - driving whatever you have under you. Many of them waste valuable time thinking what they will use as an excuse for being so slow!
|
|
Gerhard and Monica Aucamp
|
Jaco Venter sadly dropped out with a broken gearbox, while Nico Higgs retired after running the bearings!
The top three were van der Walt, Carstens and van Heerden, while both Michelle and Janine Lourens moved into the Top10! A fantastic achievement after a day long battle to get the car going!
|
|
Its party time! Short but good visit by Chris Judd with father and navigator Douglas!
|
Young master Chris Judd left early as he had his matric dance that evening after posting much improved times. Dad, Douglas said that they had to leave before someone gets hurts as Chris was "now thinking only drink, girls and ....." and off they went with Chris hitting the Saab's limiter down the road on his way to a nice party!
The van der Walt clan, old man Tjaart and the young beautiful Ms Márie won both tests five and six to ensure that they once again took more trophies home than what many people win in a career.
|
|
Wynand Loubser of HiQ giving his opinion of the whole affair!
|
Jose and Paul came second in both heats, while Christo Carsten and Angela Shields once again posted an unflustered third fastest.
The van Heerden's booked fourth fastest in both tests, while Christoff Snyders predictably followed one fifth by a steady other! Do yourself a favour and watch the time differences between the first and second runs of these drivers. That will give you an idea for what this series does for precision driving!
The only person who in the top ranks managed to have a bit of a difference between the two runs was Tjaart who probably slipped a gear in one test! I am serious!
The first difference came in 7th spot, where Piet Bakkes and Gerhard Aucamp took turns to fill the spot!
Tjaart and Marie won this event hands down in a demonstration of precision driving and navigating, but next time it may not be so easy!
|
|
Christo Carsten and Angela Shields - one of the steadiest drives you will find!
|
Well done to all the teams and although we only received four emails and two telephone calls after the event from spectators and fans who loved what you did, it is four emails and two telephone calls more than most National events receive.
It was great to see a regional Off-Road team, Andre Pretorius and Tommy Coetzee who lost their Route Notes when it blew right out of the car, finish in the silverware! I hope we will see many more of these guys come join in the Super Fun and Entertainment!
|
|
Nico Higgs and Etienne Lourens
|
Get the full results by clicking the button top right of this page.
|
|
