2021 RALLYSTAR NATIONAL RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 3 AND 4
It will remain difficult for me to get used to the two in one rally formula – where we actually complete two rallies in two days, but I have moved closer to understanding the current need for it.
It is nothing short of pure hell or extreme luck to get a few Rand to help carry the costs to host a rally and needless to say – in South Africa, we have not yet learned to announce what happens next week, at least a year before the time. We have become a spur of the moment country where announcements “with immediate effect” are made.
Most people in the sport know that I have been involved in it for many, many years while I know that in one sense very little has changed. That is to get the competitors to realise the value of being able to tell the world about yourself – because no one else will do it for you.
Sarel van der Merwe has been one of the only rally drivers in South Africa who has been promoted past his own ability in South Africa. He was very lucky to get a promoter of note at the right time when he was sponsored by Kreepy Krauly and Southern Suns. I can not remember the name of his PR, but he truly made van der Merwe a household name.
I smile when I look at the drivers who get a bit of publicity – most of them because there is an old school person mostly hiding away in the background who still tries to get the sport promoted.
I have done my best to boost a few youngsters and also to plant a cage-fight seed here and there on the Rallystar website or its Facebook page to get a war going between one or two drivers in a class, but I have to admit that except for getting a few dirty looks from the family in cases where I dared say anything they thought to be wrong – I did not succeed in creating any excitement at all.
But no matter – let’s give it another go!
This weekend – 11 and 12th of June 2021 we have Round 3 and 4 of the National Rally Championship running at the Rallystar Motorsport Academy and on a farm about 35 kilometres from the base of the event.
Those of us lucky enough to see the war will walk away on Saturday knowing that we either have some talent in the land or we do not have any hope in hell to grow the sport back to its former glory.
An extreme effort has been put in by Wiaan Dykema near Settlers to get an acceptable route for us through one or two neighbouring farms and for that, we thank him and his neighbours.
At Rallystar I started a while back to plan the 2021 route and to accommodate a 50km cycling track as well as the best 4×4 track you will find anywhere in South Africa.
COVID and a few ruthless lowlife bastards caused a few delays after they set 38 game snares in the game reserve area in a week and 26 more after we removed the first ones.
We stopped all development until we have the fences back to full capacity electrification – then we will proceed immediately.
This effort however did have the spin-off that we graded all the rally roads and the track is ready to receive the best the rally fraternity can throw at it. Whether the opposite is true – and whether the rally teams can handle what the Rallystar Stage offers – remains to be seen.
Rallystar will be slippery the first time around but as grip returns, it will surely be one of the most demanding stages most of the young ones have driven.
The stage has been designed to test not only skills but reflexes and car control. A “lazy” driver will not post good times through this stage – but at the same time power will not give such an advantage as usually.
A well prepared, controlled and driven front-wheel-drive should stay with the all-wheel-drive cars through any sections on the tracks and I will not be surprised when a few drivers run out of steam before the end of the 10km stages.
After the Rallystar stage the teams will move to the farms near Settlers and although there are sections where the speeds reached will make a cop’s day on the Highways, there are many shorter sections where common sense and respect will have to prevail.
The note readers will have a daunting task to keep up with the pace especially at Rallystar, but those who come up with the right calls and stay ahead of the drivers will contribute to the success of the teams. The navigators who fall behind will stand out like sore thumbs and will probably not get a beer after the event.
The PMC Rallystar event always had a bit of a sting in the tail and this year will be no exception. This rally will as always sort the men from the boys and the best drivers will finish on top of the heap.
Guy Botterill and Simon Vacy-Lyle will compete in the Rallystar Rally in a Toyota Auris S2000 and their main rivals should be Chris Coertse and Greg Godrich with Theuns Joubert as the dark horse.
Johan Strauss has however kept on improving as time went by and he will without any doubt be there to be counted in Class NRC1.
Joubert in a Yaris S2000 did not have a single trouble-free run over the past season and it is as difficult to predict an outcome for this team as it is to drive that absolute nightmare of a car. I do believe that the computer system from Cosworth has been designed by the Adams Family.
While I was involved in trying to find a few points we could smooth out to try and catch the super quick and slippery eel-like R4 driven by Botterill – I gave up long before Joubert did, as he could not concentrate on attacking in the car.
The computer stopped the fuel pumps at crucial moments – the power came in unexpectedly and in short – it was not a nice car to drive and trying to catch the R4 cars was simply not even in the house, let alone on the table.
To crown, it all the new engine and management system was not ready for this rally and I have little hope for Joubert and Swartz – even at their best, to catch the well-sorted Auris 2000 in the hands of Botterill.
Coertse on the other hand comes fresh from a win on the previous two Rounds and he will be determined to cling to the championship lead. On paper it may all be over and out for Botterill and the rest of the NRC1 group – but I would be hesitant to place any money on Coertse for another win.
The team has often pulled a few surprises in the past and on one event last year they went into the only telephone or electricity pole standing in a radius on about a kilometre.
But who knows the machine gun fast calls on this rally may just suit them and they might pull off yet another surprise.
Johan Strauss and Elzaan Venter will do well on stages 2,3,4,5 on day one but stages 1 and 6 will test their mettle to the core.
The heavier Subaru will battle to stay with the light and nippy S2000 and R4 through the Rallystar stages. I believe this will also be the first time on Rallystar for both of them – and we all know that the Rallystar stage does not make friends easily.
I would love to see Coertse setting the pace for Botterill to catch up – that will make for spectacular driving and action shots for the non-existing spectators standing around every corner.
Then Joubert and Strauss will also increase their pace to stay with the front runners.
Having said all this – some of the NRC1 cars will very much be in the scope of the NRC 2 teams and I will not be surprised to see one or two NRC 2 teams between the NRC 1 front runners.
The two repeat stages away from Rallystar near Settlers will not offer a very big advantage to the NRC 1 class while NRC 2 cars may just fare better through a number of fast sections or at least not be left behind.
The NRC 2 driver who manages to keep the power on the road may well find himself ahead of a few of the much more expensive and sophisticated all-wheel-drive little monsters.
The trick at Rallystar will be navigation and the correct application through the blind and often deceptive corners. Calling the complicated series of corners correctly will gain precious seconds, while hesitant driving will probably eliminate your chances.
I have mentioned AC Potgieter but in the absence of JJ Potgieter, he still has to watch the very quick Jono van Wyk all the time, while Jayden Els has the habit of not showing too much respect when it comes to established names.
The last time he drove on the Rallystar stage George Smalberger had a bit of a mishap but he can rest assured – I saw to it that that small bank that ended his rally, was graded away and he may just come up with the goodies he is capable of this time.
The battle that will develop between Jayden Els and Benjamin Habig will probably generate more interest than most of the other – but then the two cars must be kept together.
Habig did not have such a good year in 2020 due mostly to unreliable parts and or delay in receiving the right stuff, but Jayden also had his fair share of problems, but stuck to it and came out on top.
It will also be interesting to see what the outcome between these two will be – my money will all go onto ….
Let’s rather remain friends.
The casino at Carousel has reopened as did the hotel – so there is some accommodation available for those who would like to go on a game drive …
Please remember that all COVID rules will apply and according to MSA rules no spectators will be allowed at events. There will however be a lot for customers to do at the CAROUSEL CASINO while the rally takes place.
In NRC4 and NRC 5, we will see Jonathan Simms and Hannes Pienaar in a 2 litre Tazz Turbo making life difficult for Anton Raaths and Louis Menge in a Mazda Rx2 and Natie Booysen and Johan Smith in a Ford Escort 1600.
The first car will leave around 10h00 on Friday and also Saturday to do the first stage of the Rallystar Rally.
I almost finished off with the traditional “see you at Rallystar!” but ignore that!
We will soon publish all the streaming detail – watch this space.
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