Drivers and cars, all from Kyalami SA

[frans]

Hi,

Jody was quick in that car but the majority races was in East London, some 1300 ks away. I saw him at Kyalami with that Renault when it was supercharged. The sidesways style must have suited him well because at the time the racing tyres was crossply and in the photo you can see how hard they were inflated. There are no distortion of the sidewalls at all. The big diameter wheels were typical because that helped to improve the ratio to a more acceptable one.

My own exploits were a little later when the Gordinis were almost classics and then real classics. The car I raced in SA weren't mine and belonged to a sponsor. Having a sponsor had its ups and downs but when it comes to modifying and someone else is paying the ups are good!! I prepared and raced that car until April 2001. I increased the capacity to 1480cc and because it had a close ratio 5 speed box in, the cam profile could be must better than my NZ car because the power band could be smaller. Much more hp than my NZ car. Weight reduction was a big thing as well with Lexan windows all round, no lights, no hinges. Colin Chapman would have proud of me. This car was ordered from France by Renault Africa, it was ordered as a RH drive and assembled on a LH drive assembly lane. One of the tell tales signs is the sissy handle on the RH side. Then Chris Swanepoel and Gus Crous, big SA names in Rally, went over to collect the car and raced it there in the Monte Carlo. They won their class and brought the car back to SA for continued rallying. Renault realised that the car was too low for the SA roads so they made it a track car. The car eventually changed many hands and we found it all beaten up under a tree for many years. I started the restoration and then racing it with a few get togethers and close calls as the nature of racing is. But who would worry that much when the sponsor pays for the repair of the body damage!!! Unlike now where I have to do everything myself.

My last event before I emmigrated to NZ was April 2001. It was also my best race of all times.

It was easter and there were cars and classics from all over the country, cars never seen before in the National event. The track was Zwartkops, near Pretoria. This was now a full-on Classic class race. The Gordini was 33 years old at the time. One of the cars that brought back the memories was the restored Lucky Strike Ford Mustang of our Saloon Car champion Basil Van Rooyen. Lucky Strike was a Rhodesian cigarette company but I am not a 100% sure. It was residing in Cape Town and was railed up to Pretoria for this event.

A long story short, I out qualified and out raced the Mustang in both the heats. Not handicap racing! It was the first time in my racing career that I was actually noticing the crowd on the Grandstand at the end of the main straight. At the start of the straight I had a quick look at my gauges and then a look in the mirror where I saw the Mustang starting the straight. Then it was like a huge hand that picked it up and plonked it down right next to me at the end of the straight. Then I would out-brake him into the first righthander and then the winding bits started. I could increase the gap enough so that the next lap was identical to the previous one and so on and so on. The crowd was waving jackets and all sort of things, one guy was swinging his chillybin. On that note I finished my SA experience and handed the car over to the owner who still comes out in it every now and again.

Photo 1: Off loading. Note the 10" Michellin Slicks.
Photo 2: At Phakisa Track in the Free State, Gold Mine world.
Photo 3: The Mustang!!! restored version. The real car on a photo a few threads before.
Photo 4: At the Midvaal Track.
Photo 5: Me lying on my side at the back of the engine centering a new pressure plate between heats.

Regards. Frans.