ROLLING INTO 2003
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Leon Botha
Tony Ball hopefully not rolling through 2003.
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Hopefully this is just a figure of speech but we all think of 2003 as "next year" when if fact the TOUR NATAL is just over three months away.
For my part I have been busy since the Great North Rally.
Two weeks after the rally Durban had a Car show and I was asked to exhibit my service Van and Rally Car there.
Most rally car displays are fairly boring with the car parked normally, usually locked and heavens forbid CLEAN.
I decided differently.
I set up a typical service point. Car on stands on a blue tarpaulin which was surrounded by sand. Wheels off, floodlights
on, a few broken spares strewn around e.g. rim, strut, driveshaft. One model dressed in a SASOL overall complete with route schedule open at Enzos rock page !, another model (female) dressed as a Dunlop tyre mechanic. Interior of the car
lit up with odos on, park lights on. Mud and dust on the car and the van open for inspection.
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Leon Botha
Tony hard at work during the Great North rally - pic courtesy MotorPics
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A playstation was set up for the kids and WRC videos were plating all day. Sasol giveaways were handed out and Dean & myself were on hand to chat about the car, rallying and observe all the pretty girls walking past! I am sure, yes! Ed
The organiser of the show commented on the impact of our stand and judging by the number of people who spent quite a lot of time looking at all the detail it was very "interactive"
For us it was a way of saying thanks to SASOL and VW for their valuable help in 2002.
As yet nothing is confirmed for 2003 but the work goes on.
2003 will see my 20th year as a regular National competitor.
From 1984 to 1987 with Nissan and the rest thanks to help from VW. Along the way a few memorable results - particularly on the Tour Natal - I love the tricky slippery cane roads where
power is not the b all and end all. The A7 championship in 2000 was very welcome after having to cope with a very fast
Johnny Gemmell in his Sentra. I like to believe my experience came into play.
Financially and technically the playing field has really changed. In 1984 Pirelli SG35s cost R200 and lasted 60 kms on a Stanza.Twin sidedraughts and a decent cam were good for a decent result in a Datsun SSS which you could use for work
on Monday.
What has not changed is the great spirit and the personal challenge to crack all adversity that a rally throws at you.
Long live rallying
TONY BALL aka Knackers
It is wonderful to see that some of the more (very much more) experienced competitors sincerely try to put something back into the sport. Efforts such as this are what cause Sasol and Volkswagen hearts go a beat quicker. This is what makes the consumer buy that extra Golf, nobody really knows about.
Thanks Tony - we all gain by your initiative
Editor
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