Our fun started when Doreen managed to wash the Discovery and it shrunk into a Freelander before we could join the R62 from Swellendam on the N2 to Suurbraak taking us over the awesome Tradouw Pass to Barrydale where the Diesel & Crème and The Karoo Moon Motel hit one like a time warp with forgotten signs reading Gold Leaf Honey Dew Sigarette, Atlantic Motorolie, Laat ons u motor Marfak Caltex, Lucky Strike it’s toasted and even The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.
Ronnies Shop a must stop enroute and interesting to spot many a familiar names (OK – Stop blushing now) on these walls leading to good reason to acquire the I’ve survived the world famous Ronnies Shop t-shirt. On to the friendly speedtraps of Ladismith, Zoar and eventually the 1880 Boplaas Port capital in Calitzdorp.
The Tuinateljee delivered a number of surprises as there was a 1957 Opel Rekord P1 and 1958 Wolseley Fifteen Fifty parked in the main road and the pavement filled with Shaun Jones, Warren Scholtz, David Stigling and Jonathan Bright. The Besemkop Sloppy Joe proved great and somehow Adrie Stander joined the group heading towards the Grootvoël Paradys.
Oom Koos Schoeman ignored us going up, but we did find the Rainbow Motors Weerklip (and it was still dry). The Uniondale Ghost was too cold to hitchhike and Krakeel impressed with kilometers of fruit through the famous Langkloof (rallying paradise in years gone by) before rejoining the N2 to Jeffreys.
Thursday delivered it’s first surprise when Etienne MALherbe pitched complete with the trusty Datsun 160U SSS on trailer and the prospect of giving the Team Coastal Truck Sales Toyota Corolla 2.0 E70 it’s rallying debut seemingly out of reach as time simply caught up with respect preparation.
Well, the Recce Run was retained as early Friday and word that the roads had indeed been rescued by wonderful support. With no video and notes that potentially required constant updates the Recce Run delivered few surprises as those doing the road repairs did a sterling job. The weather something that rallyists have simply learnt to deal with as it comes.
Thanks to Beverly Irvine and Martie Fourie documentation proved effortless and the only real change the shortening of the Mentorskraal spectator stage and a serious drop in temperatures. Changing numbers from the regular 54 to 511 representing the only change to the Datsun before we headed towards the first SSS. The beautiful Toyota Corolla 2.0 present, but not ready.
Mentors opened proceedings with a 0.7km blitz, and it proved challenging to a few teams who did not recce the short sprint. Both Owen Jones and Warren Scholtz missed a tricky hairpin left and it was Nick Davidson that took the first stage victory. Owen coming in 21st and Warren 23rd.
At 21.45km SS2 PPC Up really got the event into motion and as expected it was Owen Jones and Aden Bredenkamp who shot into the overall lead of the event. A position they would hold onto with comparative ease, winning five of the six stages in the 454 CPMCC ARC1 Subaru Impreza Sti 2.0 Turbo 4×4. The service park at Culturama produced many more familiar faces as Team acciDentGuru was in attendance to support Matthew Köhler as navigator for Chris Coertse at national level and evaluating the prospect of doing the 2025 Algoa themselves.
Having recently completed the WMK Tara Windhoek Rally the Audi S3 1.8 Turbo 4×4 should be ready having taken a severe beating in Namibia. Still a great achievement for Paul van Wyk and Matthew Köhler to have finished their first Tara. Derick Clift and Herman Mathee as always the service team.
Johan Strydom and Waldo Strydom rarely miss any action on the Algoa and it was great to see them present with Jean van der Westhuizen and Andrew Heine also absorbing some of the evening chill. Sinkdam (18.82km), Culturama Twist (17.40km), Melon Down (7.90km) was followed by a final Mentorskloof (0.7km) stage in reverse direction.
The faithful Datsun was breathing hard, running out of brakes, but eighth overall certainly a satisfactory result. Congratulations to Francois Vermaak and Handré van Schalkwyk who won the Clubmans category as well as ARC5. Jody van Zummeren and James Johnston accumulated 1min20 in lateness with the mighty 510 Datsun SSS Coupé to slide back in the overall standings.
Longmore Forest certainly living up to it’s normal surprise rocks and steep drops but what a pleasure and privilege. Night rallying with notes does get the adrenalin going and brings back many fond memories. Of the 23 starters 16 were classified as finishers on the opening day. Spectators were still out in force despite the chilly conditions and we have to thank Tertius Nortjé, Adrie Stander, Roël and Christa Bester, Anette Vermaak, Dirk and Elmarie Hechter and the “vasbyters” Thorsten and Doreen Pey for their support.
Round 4 on Saturday included the 38.33km SS4 Culturama Ultimate and we almost made it this year. Having completed Friday with suspect brakes the team did not get much sleep between events. Still breathing heavily the return of brakes certainly a welcome pre event statistic. The Datsun was not in perfect health and it was decided that a finish would be the goal for the day. In 2023 the Datsun was retired at the spectator point on SS3 with broken right rear stubaxle, but this year it was Etienne “Panizzi” MALherbe who entertained he spectators with a neat 360. If you are down on power you may as well enjoy what you have!
And we were enjoying the longer Culturama SS4 until the right rear wheel parted company with the Datsun less than two kilometers from the end.
No telephone signal led to a scenic hike to the top of the forest to inform the officials, returning just in time to see Martin Kleingeld Snr and Jnr stop for a chat in the neat SR5 Toyota. Initial fears of having run out of fuel eventually proven to be electrical and they also retired. Jeandré reached us some 2.5 hours later to collect the three wheeled Datsun and disappointed crew. So close, and yet so far! An all to familiar statement in motorsport.
Celebrating 40 years of rallying Etienne MALherbe and Patrick Vermaak still enjoyed every kilometer of special stage completed and the atmosphere at Mentorskraal would have one believe that this was not their last attempt to finish the 40km Culturama stage!
It is a long way to travel, but Longmore Forest is a must to anyone with any interest in South African rallying. Compliments to Matthew Köhler who celebrated his national ARC1debut with a third and overall victory as navigator for Chris Coertse in the Mazda.
Owen Jones and Aden Bredenkamp was expected to dominate the Club Championship in their Subaru and after having won Friday it looked as though it would simply be repeated Saturday, but then there is always Murphy! Having hardly started SS2 they found a Rueda Crocodile (Rock) in the sideways path of the Scooby and they finished fourth.
A word of warning to Llewellyn Jones though – this car is on song now! Warren Scholtz and David Stigling sport the same engine on their 444 CPMCC ARC1 Subaru Impreza Sti 2.0 Turbo 4×4 but discovered the famous !!! C is R5 nrw on SS3 Sinkdam more deceiving than others and was left stranded with suspension damage. A long night saw the car return, but it cried enough on SS2 Saturday.
Rupert van Zyl and Justin Gay kept their noses clean to improve from 12th Overall 6th ARC3 on Friday to a very good 9th Overall and 2nd ARC3 on Saturday in their 405 CPMCC ARC3 Volkswagen Golf MkIII 2.0 20v.
Oliver de Man had Lloyd Brady as navigator in his Coastal Truck Sales 477 ARC3 Toyota Corolla 2.0 E70. Sadly they blew a headgasket on Friday nursing the car home to 15th Overall and 7th ARC3. A long night saw the combination back on Saturday and they 12th Overall 3rd ARC3 to their weekend.
Jeffreys Bay certainly got it’s fair share of rain with visitors stuck on Paradise Beach as a bonus. Visiting places like the Walskipper Restaurant and BrewHaHa had one reluctant to leave the hospitality of Tertius Nortjé and friends.
A brief meeting with Johan “Sterkman” Strydom at Karkeel and Koos Schoeman at Swartberg Total Oudtshoorn certainly two more highlights routing home.
Making Datsun Memories
Published by: Patrick Vermaak
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