ALL TAR RALLY – SASSMAN & LINGEVELDT (3 AUGUST 2024)

Asphalt rallying is limited to a single event annually in the Western Cape and the All Tar Rally hosted at the Killarney International Raceway is unique in the sense that it incorporates a Challenge section where almost any other category of motorsport may accept the invitation to compete.

Though the temptation is always present to go for overall honours on the day the Western Cape rally competitors have to place championship points on top of their priority list. It may the shortest special stage distance of the year, but it is one of the toughest events on the calender as there is only one approach to this event. If you intend doing well you will be driving flatout from the start to finish.

Good preparation is not limited to the car in use, it also applies to the driver and navigator as a single mistake is normally stopped by something rather solid or expensive sounds emanating from the vehicle itself.

For 2024 this event truly became the All Tar Rally as every meter of the event would be contested on asphalt and this fact combined with the tight infield sections certainly favoured the lighter, more nimble cars and experienced crews. The 06h30 reconnaissance was done in darkness and served only as an opportunity to confirm the already identified danger spots.

With entry comprising 22 Rally and 19 Challenge teams every second counted, even at 1 minute intervals as this was still winter. Fortunately the day dawned with near perfect conditions allowing Table Mountain to blossom in the background as crews prepared for action. Francois Butler and Frank Heunis added the atmosphere as they kept the spectators and crews informed over the public address system.

The well known Twister Reverse special stage opened proceedings and sadly the first crew heading for an early shower was the tenth car off the line. Riyaan Amlay and Aghmad Abrahams enjoying a very short day in their normally rampant Ramlay Builders 433 CCMCC S3 Toyota Corolla RXi 1600. Twelfth car from the start was Andrë Cleenwerck and Craig Gray in their ex-factory Agents Garage 414 CPMCC S3 VW Polo. The return of this car long anticipated but a destroyed valve saw them heading for an early shower.

Making a big impact on debut was somewhat misinterpreted by Yaseen Amlay and David Abrahams when they found the narrow confines leading from the old pitlane towards the scrutineering bay an inch too narrow for their Mia’s Auto 470 CCMCC S2 Toyota Conquest. Contact was significant but fortunately they emerged slightly battered and bruised, vowing to return shortly. No, it will not be in the same Conquest.

With the route blocked the stage was stopped and the nine following crews compensated with respect times. Repeating the same stage as the second stage everyone pulled in their elbows, but certainly did not slow much. Taahir Isaacs and Tariq Khatib the final car off the line and the Isaac Motors 412 CCMCC S2 VW Golf Citi MkI was as always neatly prepared. Sadly, the Golf developed an intolerance to bouncing off the new Denis Joubert pitlane and stopped rather abruptly in front of the spectators. The crew fortunate to escape with bruised shoulders and Tariq Khatib breaking a few bones in his foot.

Another brief interruption and some amendment to the service park times kept the itinerary running within specification and running Twister in the normal direction led to some entertaining driving, impressive times and just two more retirements. Wearing their customary target on the back of the normally dominant CEJ Plant Hire 434 CPMCC S5 Subaru Impreza 2.0 Turbo 4×4 the All Tar bit again and Llewellyn Jones and Christophé Pichon found themselves stuck in gear on the main straight.

Having announced their retirement from rallying at the end of the 2024 season this was not the way they would have liked to complete their final All Tar, but motorsport is a cruel mistress at the best of times. Thank you for the many entertaining moments at Killarney over many years.

Jacques du Plessis and Riaan van Zyl also looked great on their return in the rapid Du Plessis Auto Ceres 453 S4 Toyota Conquest 2.0 20v, but then the left front wheel studs snapped coming out of Hoals Hoek, gyrating the Conquest to a muddy stop in the outfield. Fortunate not to have rolled over their departing wheel they will back in gravel format soon.

SS5 was known as the Killarney Chase and included a chicane on the back straight for the first five cars, then it was skittled into oblivion and everyone else could blast past. Not fair to those who actually negotiated the initial chicane and highlights the need for Judges of Fact as the all tar positions are separated by small margins where a single infringement could have made the difference. And in the case of rally cars valuable championship points may have been gained or lost.

Owen Jones and Aden Bredenkamp was looking good on the day and completed SS5 without any issues, only to retire at the Service Park TC when the timing pulley decided it had enough on the Somerset West Subaru 454 CPMCC S5 Subaru Impreza 2.0 Turbo 4×4. After an encouraging showing in the recent Algoa National Rally they were ready to challenge the Jones supremacy, but it was not to be.

The final two Super Specials too short to make up positions but long enough to destroy a good day as Julian Calvert and Nick Knights were to discover when Liewe Lulu 409 CPMCC S3 VW Golf MkIII GTi 2.0 16v broke a CV on the starline of the final stage and they had to feather foot the hapless Golf to the finish – but they finished! 15th Overall and the final classified finishers amongst the rally teams.

Pete Isaacs and Aswine Isaacs added a 14th spot finish to their CV in the Isaac Motors 471 CCMCC S2 Toyota Corolla RXi 1600. Completely out of sync was the 13th placed Vape Station 444 CPMCC S5 Subaru Impreza 2.0 Turbo 4×4 of Warren Scholtz and David Stigling. Encouraging signs of reliability despite having lost seven minutes in the opening SS when the car simply cut out.
Team Croy finished 12th overall after another consistent outing in their Racing for Autism 448 CCMCC S2 Toyota Corolla RXi 1600 for Terry Croy and Tyler Croy. Johann Zulch and Petra Zulch stuck to their guns as S2 competitors when everyone wanted to get rid of the class and now they trumped the over subscribed S2 category with the same underpowered Ceres Toyota 439 WPMC S2 Ford Escort 1600 Sport, proving that excellent preparation and consistent driving still have merit in the modern day sport of rallying. To many present at Killarney this little car was voted the favourite amongst the rally entries. Not bad for a driver who made his regional rally debut in 1988 with a Ford Escort 1600 Sport! 11th Overall and 1st Class S2.

An elated support crew carried the P&P Engineering 462 CCMCC S2 Toyota Conquest of Erin Joshua and Leroy Peterson home in 10th spot. Proof that they can finish rallies without hiccups. Compliments to the travelling support crew who visbly and audibly support their team at each event.

Back in a Volkswagen it was magicians, Seraaj Amlay and Nur Amlay, who pedalled their neat new Amlay Construction 457 CCMCC S3 VW Golf MkIII GTi to 9th overall. Their disappearing rope trick very popular with the spectators, but the officials frowned! Very original though, it was a serious rope.

Rupert van Zyl and Justin Gay 8th in their Die Hollandse Motor Spesialis VW Golf MkIII GTi, but their day was pretty exciting as the power steering decided the driver can survive without it. Then the brakes wore down to the metal and modified BMW pads found their way into the VW (only for said BMW driver to run out himself). Point and squirt took on a completely new meaning to this crew as each wall potentially had DNF written on it.

Without any doubt the sweetest sounding car on track was the 7th placed ex-works Howard Centre Motors 428 CCMCC S5 Nissan Sentra 200 STi 4×4 of Winston Neethling and debutant navigator Ethan Mulder. Certainly no contest with respect the Scoobie opposition in class S5 but a firm favourite with spectators every time it starts an event just listening to this car in action is soothing on the soul.

Gareth Vernon and Marius Rudolph will long remember this day as their acciDEnt Guru 459 CPMCC S4 BMW E36 328i never missed a beat (or a turn off for that matter) enroute to a well deserved sixth spot. Their best result to date!

Benjamin Johnson and Christoff Löttering quietly drove their Johnsons Construction Group 468 CPMCC S3 VW Polo R6 to 5th overall, simply not putting a foot wrong all day. The fastest Ostrich from Oudtshoorn really in the groove.

Shaheen Amlay and Yusuf Amlay drove their new, beautiful, tarmac specification Amlay’s Motorsport 402 Subaru Impreza 2.0 Turbo 4×4 to 4th spot, missing 3rd by a single second! Really looking great they were understandably cautious whilst learning to respond to their new steed.

Shaun Jones and Jason Thorpe arrived at the start with little midget tyres on their Advanced Asphalting 424 CPMCC S5 Subaru Impreza 2.0 Turbo 4×4 and it really looked out of place amongst the other Scoobies. Possibly gave away some top end but handling improved and their 3rd overall was well deserved in a rally that tests the 4×4 brigade.

Koos Swanepoel Jnr and Sebastian Swanepoel encountered a 1min lateness penalty after having run out of brake pads and then spun when the new pads on the front refused to bite but it was great to see the KSD 446 WPMC BMW E36 328i back in action. If is always to be considered on every event and could always have influenced the end result. 2nd on the All Tar have certainly made this team hungry for more.

Having knocked on the door so often it was Keenan Sassman and Clint Lingeveldt who surprised with a clean and mistake free drive to overall victory in their Howard Centre Motors 413 CCMCC BMW E36 328i. What was that about number 13!

Thorsten “Pau” Pey and Mark “Dipsey” Palmer as always present as 0 car in the Teletubby LandRover Disco V8. With no date determined for the postponed Darling Rally as yet it is Klipdale that beckons on 28 September 2024 with a Day/Night format that will see the event start around midday and finish late night.

See you there!

Published by: Patrick Vermaak

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