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Hot Rod history repeated.
African Hot Rod World Cup Final
Mahem Stadium, Pretoria, 02/02/08
Russell “Mac” McCormack reports: Back in the 70’s, Mr. Stock Car, Les Eaton, brought Spedeworth and UK style Stock Car racing to these shores in what was the heyday of the sport in Africa. Racing was run at several tracks including Mahem, using local drivers. In addition, Spedeworth would often bring in UK racing teams to compete here, this still happens regularly around SA today.
The teams then were led by famous names from the era. The Superstox saw people like Geoff Goddard and Eddy Asling, (both are still here today), Tony May, the Maidment brothers, plus Dave Willis - to name but a few! From Hot Rods, Mick (Duffy) Collard, George Polley, Dave Longhurst and of course Barry (catch me if you can) Lee, were among the travellers. Other famous Stock car names to visit this continent and entertain were Eddie George, Dave Olding, Eddie Aldous and of course Conrad Self, plus many, many more.
In those days, Les Eaton used UK managers to run the show here; they were Dave Ingle (son–in-law at the time) and John Clark (ex-Spedeworth racing manager). Spedeworth pulled out of South Africa some years later to concentrate on the running of the UK and European end of the Spedeworth business, passing on the reins to South African promoter Nico van de Berg at Mahem, Pretoria. Since then, the old but faithful stadium has passed through several set of promotions.
The new Spedeworth SA management team of Deane Wood and Rudy Myburgh bring the above brief story to a full circle - hopefully revitalising the Spedeworth name in Africa once again. These two have been the inspiration to run three of the four events held this January/February in South Africa!
The first event in the 2008 series saw two UK-40’ containers arrive in Cape Town with ten Irish and UK National Hot Rods for the 12th January event run by Rolling Thunder Show SA. Following a week later was the visit to Polokwane (19th January) 2000km north of Cape Town, then Vereeniging (26th January), and the African Hot Rod World Cup final on 2nd February held at the 400yd Mahem Stadium (Wimbledon-sized track).
The four events and venues were well supported by both the spectators and drivers, where there were full houses on the terraces. The gates were physically closed by the CHD club at the Cape Town event, leaving thousands locked out - the biggest crowd in the history of the 600m. Killarney oval.
The final at Pretoria started in late afternoon, with lap times for the 23 assembled Hot Rods from Europe and all the racing regions in Africa. The fastest flying-lap time would earn the driver a bonus 10 pts, dropping one point per timed position down the grid. These points, and the driver’s results points from the first two heats, were added together: whoever amassed the most points would start on pole in the “First African Hot Rod World Cup” final. From this race, the first across the line would take the historic first event win.
(To back-track slightly, the third qualifier at Vereeniging had produced a surprise lap record for Englishman Chris Haird with a Vauxhall against the mighty power of the Mazda rotary-power used locally. So expectations were high in the European camp at Mahem for one of the visitors to go quickly yet again at this very English-style venue, but it was sadly not to be at this tighter track.)
At Mahem, a fraction of a second covered the first few places in the flying laps. Richards Bay racer Neville Loosemore (r11) was 15th to run, and it would be fair to say he was “on it” in his beautiful red, super-fast Clio with that amazingly quick Rotary power. He set a blisteringly-fast 13.62 sec lap to take the honours. Neville - by the way - was SA’s 2005 Ipswich World Final challenger.
Neville would literally pip second-placed man Shane Brereton by just a snippet of a second at 13.77. Coming in third was Mahem specialist Rudy Myburgh (m127) with a 13.83, whilst young Chris Haird only managed a day’s best of 13.84 and placing fourth.
Heat one saw a win for Loosemore (SA), from Shane Brereton, Chris Haird, Amos Cockram Jnr. (SA), Ronnie McMillan, Keith Martin, Sakkie Spies (SA) Joey Butler, Tommy Maxwell, Barry English, Dick Hillard, Ronnie McMillan, Amos Cockram Snr. (SA) Neville Stanley, Jesse Huggett (SA), Richard Owen (Namibia), and last but not least, Tollie Goosen (SA).
Unexpected casualties during this race were Colin Smith who went out after self hitting the old (Ipswich-style) wall. Because of the crowds in and around the stadium, he could not get the car back to the workshop to effect repairs, missing heat two. Rudy Myburgh was also a DNF in this one, with a misfire somewhere around the rotary power plant.
Another Neville won heat two, this time it was the larger than life leprechaun and evergreen Neville Stanley. Neville led them across the line from local racer Ian v Niekerk (SA), Les Compelli, Barry English, Ronnie McMillan, Shane Brereton, Neville Loosemore (SA), Amos Cochran (SA), Chris Haird, Keith Martin, Rudy Myburgh (SA), and Izak Spies (SA).
During this race, local specialist Rudy Myburgh spun on the turnstile turn after a squabble with the front end of the Brereton Corrado. There was an instantaneous yellow flag, immediately withdrawn by the C-o-C, and the race finished without the Corrado of Myburgh; Sakkie and Johan Spies going out of the event with gremlins in their rotary engines.
What a professionally and brilliantly driven final we saw, led from pole position to flag-fall by local multi-South African champion Neville Loosemore. Neville was driving well within his car’s power, and more importantly, his capabilities, this very rapid rotary dominated the race. From the sidelines, seemingly effortlessly controlling the race from the front, afterwards Neville admitted it was not a pressure race for him.
Only toward the end of the 20-lap race did he come under any pressure from the pursuing - mainly European - pack, when he wound down the wick. As he started to catch the back of the trailing grid, Neville drove intelligently, not wanting any last minute squabbles with backmarkers as the race came to its completion. Across the line, in a line, the racers received rapturous applause from the very loyal Hot Rod fans assembled from all around this country.
The result: Neville Loosemore (SA), Chris Haird (in his second “World” second in six months), from Shane Brereton 3rd, 4th Keith Martin, 5th Neville Stanley, 6th Rudy Myburgh (SA), 7th Ronnie McMillan, 8th Dick Hillard, 9th Ian v Niekerk(SA), 10th Colin Smith, 11th Barry English, 12th Antoine Marx(SA) 13th Tollie Goosen (SA) these were the only finishers from the 16 car final grid.
Let us hope we can see Neville - the “African World Cup Champion” - in his Clio on the grid at Ipswich for the 2008 World Final. From memory, this would be the first South African car since Corry Samons raced his South African Mk1 Escort there during the 1974 and ‘76 World Finals - 32 years having passed us by.
Any willing freight sponsors out there, for a very special South African car from Richards Bay to grace Ipswich raceway once again? I am sure Neville would be available to listen intently to any proposal!
Russell McCormack, Cape Town, South Africa.
2006/7 World Champion Carl Boardley
talks exclusively to nationalhotrod.com
The 2007 Championship of the World for National Hot Rods saw a name appearing on the roll of honour for a second time – something that actually hasn’t happened since Davy McCall added a second trophy in 2002. And for this year’s winner Carl Boardley, winning was all the sweeter second time around for an emphatic victory without all the shenanigans that surrounded the first of his back-to-back titles.
At the risk of sounding like the MC at a WWF event, Carl Boardley is the “Undisputed World Champion”. nationalhotrod.com caught up with the winner of the formula’s top title to see how it all came together this time, and various other thoughts from the man with no need to repaint his gold roof…
 As is usual in World Qualifying series, it’s a gruelling journey through all the rounds, and certainly for the second half of the season, most pundits saw the English points as a battle between Carl and his old adversary Malcolm Blackman – a battle Carl ultimately lost.
”Missing a round cost me the English points. I’ve said to Roy (Eaton, NHRPA) that perhaps we should look at counting 14 rounds out of 17 for the points, or run 20 rounds and count 17. Spinksy missed three or four meetings so his World Final was cocked up because of work commitments.
“But no-one can make money out of National Hot Rod racing, therefore the only way to go racing is to make money out of your work, and I think this needs addressing. As for the round I missed – well – on the Thursday my wife gave birth, so it wouldn’t have been right to go racing on the Sunday. Am I sorry I missed Northampton and that it cost me the points? Not at all.”
Some might point to a plethora of gearbox troubles late last year as contributing to lost points too?
”The gearbox problems stemmed from Rockingham Ovalfest where it blew up. We rebuilt it, blew it up again, rebuilt it again, won a race and it blew up again. In fairness to Mark at Elite, he sorted all the parts for us – I think it just wasn’t up to the speed of the gear changes that I wanted to make at Rockingham, and when it blew, something we didn’t spot must’ve twisted. But since we’ve had the new box it’s been fine.”
And then, as World Champion, and “ambassador” for the sport, you get invited to take part in all kinds of PR for the sport. One of these amused the few remaining “we hate Hot Rods, BriSCA-F1-is-the-only-formula-that-should-be-allowed-to-grace-the-ovals” brigade no end. Fortunately their numbers have dwindled significantly in the modern world, and there is a very healthy number of fans of Hot Rod and Stock Car racing who love the glamour and thrill of both of the two very different, but top, top class disciplines. Just look at how many National Hot Rod fans (and a driver or two) forsook the Birmingham NHR World Series round last year to enjoy the spectacle of the awesome V8’s at the clashing Ipswich BriSCA-meet...
 Anyway, this particular “duty” for Carl involved a car swap with BriSCA F1 legend Frankie Wainman Jr, in front of a packed house at Wimbledon last summer.
”Well to be honest you turn up on a bit of a hiding to nothing really. Early in the meeting the Hot Rod was on slicks, and the track was full of shale and rubbish, so all it was doing was going sideways - we were both using our own cars at that point. So we did that and a few do’nuts and called a day on that part of the show. Later on we swapped cars, and of course after all the racing that had gone on meantime, the track had improved no end; I drove his car a second a lap quicker then, than in practice earlier on, and Frankie went a hundredth better in my car than I had earlier on. If you compare the times, only Frankie and one other driver I think, went any quicker than I did, in race conditions. Do I fancy BriSCA F1 Stock Car racing? I wouldn’t mind a go at some point, maybe rent a car and have a go…”
Wind the clock forward to July 2007, and the runner-up in the English points has a World title to defend. But the gossip reaching all-points of the world of National Hot Rod racing is that Andy Steward is out for revenge for what he still perceives as a massive miscarriage of justice at the same event a year earlier. Rumours that were so loud, they had reached the ears of the organisers of the event… In the light of this, did Carl prepare for the weekend in a different way at all?
“No, not preparation-wise, no different at all. From my personal preparation point of view though, if I’d have had a choice of winning it again, but like last year’s, then I wouldn’t have wanted it. The last twelve months has been a lot of grief for me from lots of people, which I never felt was totally justified. I thought I’d won the World Final, but from all the hoo-ha it didn’t always seem like it. Car preparation-wise there was nothing different this year to last.
”Did I think much about Andy in the run up to Spedeweekend? Yes and no. No – because I was thinking that if he did do anything silly, I would take it on the chin and laugh it off. Yes – because it was in the back of my mind whilst we were prepping the car, wondering if we were going to all this time and trouble just to be taken out…
”At the Thunder 500 meeting, Deane (Wood) took me and my team, and Andy and his team, to one side, and said quite clearly that anything dodgy in the race would be met with a ban. He implied that this would be substantially longer than a one year ban – lifetime maybe – and Andy and I shook hands.
“So I was absolutely amazed he wasn’t there on the Saturday morning for qualifying!”
And so it was, that Andy didn’t compete at the weekend, for whatever reason. But the other 32 competitors entitled to be on the grid had the serious business of marking out a time and a grid position on Saturday morning. Carl set pole, which may or may not have surprised some, but the time he set pole with was slower than in 2006.
 ”So we went out for the lap times. Every single year we put on brand new tyres for this, but for some reason this year they just didn’t feel right. I don’t know why, even now. But going into the session, I was certain that no-one would get to last year’s level of lap time. The way the rain previously had affected the shale around the track meant I knew a 14.7-second lap would get on the front row. But the car never felt as good either as in the unofficial practice previously, or as it would feel later in the race.
”It was a very short session – just five minutes this year – so I did a few laps slow - to bed in the tyres - then three or four quick ones, and I saw the board said 14.74. Then I backed off. The worse thing was when other cars – James and Malcolm I think – latched on to the back of my car. It’s much easier for other cars to go quicker by doing that, so I pulled wide which isn’t a great thing to do as the tyres pick up all the snotty stuff off the track. You then have to do a couple of laps to clean them and get quick again. It was a bitty session then, but the best lap was at the end. The only person who surprised me was Gary Woolsey, I thought he’d be top group and front row.”
For a while, some thought Malcolm Blackman might nick pole position, but in the end he wound up front row alongside Carl. A good thing, or a bad thing?
”I was pretty comfortable with Malcolm on my outside at the front – I’d prefer him there rather than behind me, or fifth even. It’s a mammoth job from there to get onto the inside.”
The start from where this writer was sitting – turn 4, looked a pretty tidy one this year?
”Yeah, it was pretty good, though if anything Malcolm was maybe half a car ahead at the green. But I’ve no complaints – that’s how it is, when you go, you go – and it was pretty fair. Into the first corner he did what I suppose I’d think I would have done, and squeezed me in tight. At the turnstile bend he squeezed me too far into the inner kerbing and we both ended up going left, costing us both three or four places.
 ”I never worried about Matt (Simpson) taking the lead. I think Matt was very happy with his new car, but in all fairness I don’t know of anyone who’d turned up in a new car and done it. I believe everything is won or lost in the workshop, and I don’t believe a new car can do 75 laps quickly.”
A caution period just 3 laps in, to remove a couple of cars from the exit of turn two, gave everyone a chance to take stock, and ultimately for Malcolm Blackman to be removed from the race by officials after flames emanating from the underneath of his car were tackled by marshals. Carl takes up the story:
”I was calm at this point, not thinking ‘oh sh*t, what’s gone on?’ I was looking at who was ahead and planning. Thinking ‘follow Malcolm’, then I’ve got the pace to deal with (Steve) Thompson, thought I might get (John) Christie once we hit traffic, and like I said, didn’t think Matt could do 75 laps quickly.
”In that scenario three, four years ago, I’d have been sat there worrying about throwing it all away. This time I was confident – I had a picture of how I could deal with each car. My car was set up to still be quick at the end of the race, and I was confident it would be there at the end of 75 laps.
”Malcolm’s exclusion? That’s a tricky one. Before the race they said they wouldn’t red-flag it unless they really had to – they’d try and let the race run. Obviously if Malcolm had had a fire of any description on board, it needed putting out, for Malcolm’s sake, but they certainly applied the letter of the rulebook to that incident.
”Then Matt was gone – he said it was some sort of battery problem? So John Christie had the lead and I was having some little thoughts about this during the race – like ‘I’m used to week-in, week-out, racing with 24 other cars. And he’s used to what, 10 maybe?’ And so he’s perhaps not so used to lapping cars.
 ”So I made sure I stayed four/five car lengths behind John, and if we were getting close to backmarkers, closed the gap to two/three car lengths, to put him under pressure. It’s hard to explain, but I knew I’d get an opportunity, I just had to make sure I took it when it came. Again, two or three years ago, I’d have been all over him, thinking ‘got to get past, got to get past’.”
The opportunity came as John approached the absorbed-in-each-other Richard Spavins and Mike Thurley. Carl pounced on just a moment’s hesitation by the man for whom leading World Finals will surely become customary in years to come, and Christie’s fairytale (for this year) was ended. Carl continued:
”People sometimes say that when I’m driving my car, it looks easy. But I’ve now got to a stage where the car is set, and it is easy. A comfortable car, that you’re comfortable with, gives you the mindset that if you need it to go faster, it will.
”I saw Chris was there, didn’t think anyone else could get involved with the lead from further back. Once I’d dealt with the immediate backmarkers I started to concentrate, keeping the car clean and tidy, get my head down, keep it smooth and look after the tyres until lap 50.
”Lap 50 was the time I started to think ‘it could well happen’, and told myself to keep 100% concentration. I was confident the car would last, tyre-wise too, and began thinking ‘a win is starting to look on the cards’ – and then told myself to get rid of that thought and concentrate again.”
Then just to prove that motorsport is unpredictable, the race was cautioned with just five laps remaining to remove the unlucky Stu Carter’s similar car from the back straight Armco.
 ”My lap timer said we’d done 70 laps but I couldn’t remember if I’d zeroed it before or after the warm-up laps. So I wasn’t sure initially if there were 10, or 5 laps remaining But seeing Stu in the wall I thought ‘oh no’. So we waited for the clean up and I had a good look at the track surface on the restart. Then I held it steady for one lap to check that the car was where it should be, then put a couple of laps in at full pelt, and felt the race was in the bag.”
So - go on, how did this year’s “chequered flag experience” feel?
”Last year at the end of the race I just thought ‘what on earth has gone on?’ This year it was just really good to cross the line. I was really pleased for myself, my Dad, the boys that come everywhere with us, and thought ‘this is it’ – a proper one, the way you want them all to be.
”Hopefully it has shown all the people who had a doubt last year that it wasn’t a fluke, it wasn’t ‘given to me’, it was deserved. The laps of honour were a real pleasure, and my little girl Ellen enjoyed them too!”
The last thing most followers of National Hot Rods want to hear of the World Champion – new or otherwise - is that he’s going to swan off and do something “better”, different, call it what you will, and it had already been well flagged that Carl had bought an ASCAR (apologies to SCSA V8 purists, but we all know what an ASCAR is) and was planning to have a go at the Rockingham-based series.
Now this raised a couple of questions. Knowing Carl’s association with Sonny Howard, if he was to leave Nationals, then wouldn’t PickUp Trucks have been the obvious next formula for him? And although it had been proclaimed that it was ASCAR “in addition to” and not “instead of” Hot Rods, was that just pre-World Final propaganda?
 ”If I was thinking of giving up National Hot Rods, I would do PickUps, they’ve got a really good, competitive series. But five years ago – if I’d had the money or been daft enough to spend what was needed then - I wanted to have a go at ASCAR, but it certainly wouldn’t have been enjoyable to spend that kind of money.
”Now I’ve just bought a completely race-ready one for about a third of the cost of a new National! I don’t view the ASCAR as a major challenge, but (1) I wanted to have a go and (2) I’ve bought one for the price of renting one for three meetings. The series isn’t setting the world alight presently, but to go round Rockingham at that speed is great.
”However, I plan to stay in National Hot Rods at my current level – winning things in the Nationals is my main focus. Hopefully I’ll keep the ASCAR straight, and it’ll be something else, for fun, and as it’s something I wanted to do five years ago. Hot Rods are my competitive thing and I want to keep top or thereabouts. I don’t see ASCAR as ultra-competitive, it’s just a few weekends away, and I’m looking forward to OvalFest in September where I’ll be able to race two cars. And I’ll be staying with the Tigra for the foreseeable future. With the current rules, it will take a bit of beating.”
So there it is again, from the proverbial horse’s mouth. He’s staying with and wants to remain top of his game, in National Hot Rods. Is there anything he’d like to see changed? After all, a recent poll in the nationalhotrod.com Forum showed a stunning 166 people out of 170 that voted, want the World Series rounds to revert to “proper” graded starts.
”I’d be perfectly happy to go back to graded starts, but not with huge packed grids of cars. You accept when you go racing that sometimes you’ll get damage and that it takes time and money to put right. But with huge packed grids you can guarantee that five or six times a year you’ll take the car home in bits, and that suits no drivers.”
We all know the drivers that have been around a few seasons, and their respective merits and abilities. But a formula can live or die by its ability to attract new blood. What does the World Champion think of National Hot Rod racing’s latest crop of new drivers to the class?
 ”Well, there haven’t been that many new drivers this year really. Matt (Simpson)’s done well in his own right. Russ (Wilcox) has shown a lot of promise with what really is an old car. Dave Brooks has shown that on his day he’s up there with the quickest – he just needs to be more consistent. Andy Burgess has done well with limited funds and what he’s got. And I think Richard Spavins will be on the pace once he’s sorted his new car.”
With back-to-back victories, and an ASCAR in the garage, you might be forgiven for thinking of Colin White’s achievements at the tail end of the last century. Is Carl looking to match, or exceed, the Glastonbury-man’s three titles in a row?
”Three in a row. No, not at the minute. I just aim to enjoy the next twelve months. Though ask me again in March or April next, and I might just be thinking of it…”
© nationalhotrod.com 2007. No part of this to be reproduced without express written permission.
Carl Boardley was talking to Neil Rowe.
South African National Championship.
Russell McCormack reports: This year’s South African National Hot Rod championship came to the “Cape Hell Drivers” facility in Cape Town on Friday & Saturday 27-28th October.
15 of the country’s top drivers from our “Premier saloon class” turned out to do battle over two heats and a final on the Saturday along with the saloon V8’s and the Midgets.
Their championship started on Friday evening, after what for some was a twenty hour plus road journey to this southwest corner of the African continent.
To greet them there was a bitter southeast wind blowing all weekend across the open seaside track. This wind is known locally as the “Cape Doctor,” because it blows all of the cities debris/pollution into the Atlantic Ocean.
The UK’s Deane Wood and Dick Hillard flew in from London to support old friends taking part at the event, both during the weekend commented about the cold, saying “all the way to Africa to be freezing Bee cold” (it is still springtime here)..!
Fifteen HR competitors drew slots for their 2 timed runs against the clock for grid positions; the draw being for two following reasons: (1) it gives the drivers their grid slot for Heat 1, which is then reversed for H2, and (2) the time achieved here serves as the grid position in H3/final.
It was expected by the local fans that their local hero Jesse Huggett would as usual using his local expertise put in a fast time, when he drew last place in the timed runs. However it is two years since Jesse last raced the “Quick guys” from Johannesburg and his slower times achieved reflected the lack of quality competition for him here, from Johannesburg drivers.
Neville Loosemore from Richard’s Bay came out second and posted the benchmark blistering time of 16 seconds dead, throwing down the gauntlet for all to follow. Everybody thought this was going to be difficult time to beat but next out was ex Jo’burg driver and now resident Capie, Sakkie Spies in his screaming 13b Rotary Peugeot, setting yet another fast time of 16.36.
Then all of a sudden it seemed possible someone might just set a quicker time, another 10 or so drivers came and went and peppered these two times but could not beat them. Then the “fiery” Seef Fourie Jnr came out, this is an ultra smooth and very quick 18yr old youngster deriving his frighteningly fast rotary powered Peugeot 206. He is thought to be by some, the “new Jesse” of oval racing, at the end of his timed runs, he not only beat the times already posted but pinched Jesse’s longstanding track record he had held for years with an amazing 15.88 seconds breaking the 16 second barrier for the first time ever by a saloon at Killarney oval circuit.
Jesse - seeing this time before he went out - was again inspired in the ill handling Vauxhall/Corsa to break his previous lap record of 16.5 with an a scintillating 16.32, it just goes to show that there is life in the “little fella” yet when he has competition.
As you would expect the majority local crowd erupted, jumping to their feet with both of these drivers’ performances, this from the usually conservative CHD spectators.
The event itself was run over qualifying times, two heats and a final for the countries prestigious top title (SA1) it was taken for the second time in three years by Neville Loosemore (Vauxhall/Clio) with 86 points from Richard’s Bay. (Neville ran in last years World Final in the spare Dick Hillard car).
Second place went to JC van Niekerk from the Cape Town (Nissan /Clio) with 85 points.
Third place went to Rudy Myburg from Pretoria (Vauxhall Tigra/Mazda 13b Rotary) with 84 points.
The winner could have been so completely different if the flying Rotary powered P206 of young Seef Fourie (18yrs) had been “a good boy” in heat one, where he ended up disqualified by the C-o-C for jumping the start and contact.
He managed to amass 90 pts over the four races, but he was docked the 25 points earned in heat one leaving him with 65 pts pushing him down to seventh place. Perhaps this fiery young talent will mature by next years final, which MSA has declared will be run over three legs around South Africa.
Result - Tar National finals in Cape Town Points Results over the three heats and final from Cape Hell Drivers National. Hot Rod's with their 2007 race numbers are:
SA1 Neville Loosemore Richards Bay HR club (Ex11)
SA2 JC van Niekerk Cape Hell Drivers (Ex 22)
SA3 Rudy Myburgh (Ex 2006, SA1) Mayhem Pretoria
4th 101 Hendrik vd Merwe Welkom M/c
5th 111 Antonie Marx Welkom M/c
6th 26 Richard Griessen Cape Hell Drivers
7th 212 Seef Fourie Jnr Wesbank Raceway ##
8th 23 Mattie Maartins Mahem Pretoria
9th 58 Jesse Huggett Cape Hell Drivers#
10th SA3 Sakkie Spies Cape Hell Drivers
11th 7 Pierre Nolte Cape Hell Drivers
12th 12 Frans Nagel Mahem Pretoria
# J Huggett DNF H1, Half shaft broken.
## Seef Fourie disqualified from Ht 1 after court of enquiry into a jumpstart.
Other National class results
V8 Super Saloons
SA1 Peter Lindenberg ex SA1 Wesbank Raceway
SA2 Ross Lazarius ex SA3 Wesbank Raceway
SA3 Seef Fourie ExG212 Wesbank Raceway
4th A5 Wimpie Reynders Cape Hell Drivers
5th A58 Jesse Huggett Cape Hell Drivers
6th A9 Roy Stein Cape Hell Drivers
7th A6 Ernst Heydenrych Cape Hell Drivers
8th 69 Tony De Meolia ( Newcastle)
9th G63 Ismail Peck Wesbank Raceway
10th A11 Mannetjies Fontini Cape Hell Drivers ##
11th A15 Richard Stassen Cape Hell Drivers
12th A46 Thys v Eck Cape Hell Drivers
## M Fontini DNS H2.
Other National class results
Midgets
SA1 Antonie Tallie ex 55 Worcester M/c
SA2 Shaun Zurich ex 98 Worcester M/c
SA3 Quinten Lehman ex SA1 Wesbank raceway
4th 66 Chris (Budgie) Crafford Worcester M/c
5th 7 Andre Welsh Cape Hell Drivers
6th 8 Johan Tullikan Cape Hell Drivers
7th 10 Keegan Lehman Wesbank raceway
8th 727 Warren Bowman Richards Bay
9th 6 Robert Kitchen DNF. Worcester M/c #
# Cam belt troubles in final.
If you missed this meeting, you missed one of the most excitingly raced Nationals in a long time in South Africa. The drivers here put on one of the most spectacular events witnessed in a national for a very long time, roll on 2007 and the three event National Series.
I hope this brings you some insight as to what went on at the second of this year's Tar National Finals.
Mac.
Photos with thanks to Grant Georgieolpolus.
2006 World Champion Carl Boardley
talks exclusively to nationalhotrod.com
It’s a couple of days after Foxhall 2006, and Carl Boardley is the new World Champion. People who watch and know National Hot Rod racing might be surprised that it took until now for Carl to lift the sport’s top prize, given the general acknowledgement of his ability and pace, and that he’s already a past master of National Championships. But Ipswich and World Finals have never clicked until now – despite some great chances in recent seasons – and even when the home town boy crossed the line first, it had to be after a controversial incident which somewhat took the shine off the achievement.
On the day, at least.
”We ended up going for a beer in the lorry, rather than a lap of honour and bubbly… Chris Studd and Paul Gerrard [race stewards] had asked me my version of the last lap, I told them, and said that whatever they decided, I’d go along with.
”At that time, there and then, I thought that the shine has gone off this anyway, I didn’t care, and I didn’t want the grief. Looking back now though – of course I did!”
The record book now shows Carl as the latest of many great racers to take the coveted World title. As he says of Andy Steward - who came so close once again 10 years after being denied by Ormond Christie – “I really, really feel sorry for Andy. He does deserve a World title, and he did in 1996 when I was watching from the crowd. I think it is common knowledge that Andy has said that there’s no way that anyone would come past him if he was ever in that situation again…” More on the race later on.
Going into the big race, Carl had already sewn up the English points title, and the Thunder 500 pre-World barometer of form. Showing what some deemed as frightening pace, no times had been officially recorded at the previous Friday’s test session. Carl’s been here before of course, bookies favourite, local hero and local hype, and some say this kind of pressure has done for him in previous years.
”I wasn’t feeling any pressure, this year it was more a confidence thing. We were well confident, really confident that if we could get fairly near the front of the grid then we would take some stopping. In the past with earlier cars, we’d set the car up to be a bit skatey for the first 10/20 laps, so that it would come good later in the race.
”With the Tigra there’s no need for that, we’ve every confidence in the car. As you know, we’ve moved on with a few bits and pieces on it. The panels are light, the chassis is light, and we’ve a fair bit of ballast in it. The inside weight rule was a bit of a problem but we’ve addressed that. But the centre of gravity we’ve got is so very low, that the thing won’t roll in the bends. So much that we’ve had to introduce some, to make it perform like a race car when it’s cornering. We bought it from Chris (Ludlow) as a chassis, panels and various parts, and myself and the team – Richard (Dad), Darren, Steve, Tom and Stuart - built the car ourselves. A lot of development has taken place in the last 12 months, as with any new car.”
Saturday morning and the lap times to determine the World Final grid.
“I didn’t think we’d get it as low as we did (14.52secs), perhaps that was part of not feeling any pressure. The year Dave Longhurst won probably changed things for me. Before that, I’d always gone into the race meeting thinking “I’ve got to do it”. Whereas since then, I’ve a mindset of “if it happens, it will”, and if not – well – don’t worry, plenty of better drivers than me haven’t done it either.”
Pole position then; Ulsterman John Christie sharing the front row, and 2004 World Champion Malcolm Blackman in Carl’s rearview mirror. “We got a good start, and then saw, or rather, felt, the oil go down. From then on I had to drive two or three car widths wider to keep out of it. Two surprises for me: one that the race continued for so long before the stoppage (my lap counter said it was lap 8. Allowing for warm-up laps, we must have been 6 laps gone), and then that Malcolm collected Tom Casey, who we’d already passed after he’d spun on an earlier lap – I guess he must have got caught up on some oil too.”
The stewards deemed a complete restart after a lengthy stoppage. Was the pressure now on? “I wasn’t bothered. I thought that so long as the car still turned right at the end of the straight, I was comfortable that I could pull out a gap and start putting backmarkers between us and the rest. The only driver I really thought about at that stage was maybe Spinksy. I really wasn’t too sure about how his car would be in the heat toward the end of the race, and whether he’d be up there.”
Then there was the second stoppage, and the restart which led to the decisive part of the race. “That was a bit of a bummer really. Gommy (I think) blew his oil everywhere, and I went straight on! Luckily Matt Simpson was already there and prevented me going into the wall, and I think he was okay too. I lost a straight lead, but got a gap back again, changed down a gear or two, and kept it sensible. Then I came up to lap Ken Marriott.”
By this stage of the race, two-thirds in, lapping cars becomes the norm rather than the exception for race leaders, and the number 2 Corsa was no different. “I’d already lapped him once on the inside, earlier, along with McCall, Wayne Woolsey, loads in fact – and there’d been no problems. As we came off the turn he put his hand out the window to signal me through on the inside, so that’s where I went. He must have misjudged where I was; it felt like he literally threw his car into mine and I ended up with two wheels on the inner kerb. I was left with two choices, beach the car or get back on track.
”I got back on track, but our incident had caused him to spin all the way round to a stop, and I had to go to the wide outside to then pass him. Meanwhile, Andy who had been 8 or 9 car lengths behind me before that, got by.”
So now we got into a stage of the race that would surely test Carl’s new mantra of “if it happens, it will”, but you get the impression that this now more-confident racer would contribute a lot of cool-headedness to what would happen as he found himself demoted to second place.
”I was always close to him for the last 20-odd laps. We had to ease back every so often, take to the right or the left a bit as the engine temperature was getting too high being so close. I managed a couple of nibbles up the inside, but of course Andy shut the door. Then there was a half a chance to almost box him in behind a backmarker which didn’t come off. When we got to probably 8/9 laps from home, I started thinking that it’s got to come soon…
”I’d found that there wasn’t enough grip on the outside, so sat out there for a few laps and put some rubber down myself to make it grip. With two or three laps to go, I thought it would have to be an outside pass on Andy, even knowing he’d come wide to defend it. On the last lap I came out of turn two on the outside, hit the wall, and stayed on the wall into the straight. He’s on the inside of the front of my car and I’m staying on the wall. I kept the throttle down fully all the time, kept it nailed, and about halfway down Andy turned himself across my car. I think everyone knew what the result would be if he did that.
”Anyway, I took the chequers, but was thinking to myself “What has just gone on?” and put the car on the shale as we’d been indicated to do. Got out of the car and our team was buzzing around, some others were shouting. Tick Steward had steam coming out of his ears but Andy was calm and went and sat on the wall, as I did, and two or three people – drivers – said that I’d done nothing wrong and the incident was Andy’s fault.
”Looking back to 2 years ago, I feel I did something then that I felt needed to be done. Although it was a spur of the moment thing – and I wouldn’t want to put myself or other people through it again - I think any other top 10/15 driver would have done the same. But that’s all done and dusted. Like I said, for this I’d told the stewards that I’d live with whatever decision they reached.
”Looking back to Sunday, as far as I’m concerned I put it on pole, led the race, had a half lap lead taken away (no problem – that’s racing), then having the lead taken away again and getting back in: what I do know is that all I’ve done is raced someone else fairly, crossed the line first, and won. Anyway, eventually I was called over to Chris (Studd) who said “the race is yours, well done”.
”Not the way I had wanted it to be done!”.
And Carl’s view on the incident now, looking back on it? “Whether Andy knew I was there or not, I don’t know. If the roles had been reversed, maybe I’d have run him a little bit wide maybe at the apex of the bends. Would I have made the outside pass count if he hadn’t moved over on me? Who knows!”
So there’s a new era in National Hot Rod racing, as our new champion assumes the mantle of “ambassador” for our great sport. How does Carl look upon this? Hopefully not as a tick-in-the-box, let’s move onto the circuits/PickUps, whatever. Surely this racer understands National Hot Rod racing, and what it means to be one of the few to have attained the top?
”I can tell you that we mean to do every single meeting that we possibly can. That includes Ireland, North and the Republic. The European in October may pose a small problem for Emma and myself as our second child is due around the 3rd/4th October. The boys will take the lorry over anyway, and I’ll get a flight if – err – things haven’t come out by then!
”We’ll do our best not to miss a single meeting though – Rockingham too. I’m not too sure what the track layout will be yet, but if they need someone to go up and whiz round whatever they come up with, I’ll happily help out with a test.”
Carl is known and has a good reputation for, being a very firm but fair Hot Rod racer. That might be tested now; as has been seen before, it can lend a bit of kudos to up-and-coming racers to “beat the World Champion”. Will he have to change his style?
”My philosophy in Hot Rods has always been the same: to try and race in a fashion and treat other drivers in the way that I’d like to be treated myself. So if someone bashes me about a bit, I’m sure I remember it, just the same as I remember those that I’ve had good clean races with. 60/70% of the drivers out there are just as fair like that, and I’d like to treat and be treated by everyone as we all have done in the past.”
Any thoughts on the sport, where it’s been, where it’s going, and how it might be enhanced for the future? The new World Champion has been around long enough now to be very qualified to offer a constructive opinion on this topic.
”Firstly there’s a couple of problems that need addressing to help take the formula forward. It seems that the drivers aren’t always informed enough about things that are happening and changing in the sport. If the National Hot Rod website was taken away, we’d know very little. The other problem is that sometimes things don’t often seem to be thought through properly. For example, the recent chassis changes were probably exactly the right thing to do for the sport. But then we get told something just before the World Final that makes all the CLM (Chris Ludlow) cars illegal, then an amendment sheet gets given out on the Saturday morning that makes them all alright again!
”Other than that, I think the rules we’ve arrived at now are probably about right. They level it all out so that you can’t really go out and spend loads in order to win. Where we are now is good for the next 12/18 months. But where the next level or development is, to take the sport on, I don’t really know at the moment.
”Unlike some, I’m satisfied with the Hoosier tyres we use now. The first H10s were probably too close to the Avon to be any kind of improvement, but the H12s we have now are fine if you manage them properly. I know that I can get 3 or 4, even 5 meetings out of a tyre so long as you do that, scrubbing them and measuring them etc. I’d much rather spend an hour and a half a week doing that, than spend £400 on another brand new set. You can of course keep bolting new ones on, but why? These seem to offer reasonable grip and last alright anyway.”
And the racing itself? “There’s two sides to opinions on this. For myself, I think National Hot Rod racing is as good as its been since I started. The drawn grids format in use at the moment have led to definitely a lot less accidents than (for me) starting at the back all the time. Though personally I’d like to see the graded starts back.
”If I draw A1/A2 then I’m distraught if I don’t win. Within two laps any top driver will be in the lead and gone. There’s nothing worse than that for no challenge, and it isn’t great for the crowds. But like I said, there’s fors and againsts with both systems.”
© nationalhotrod.com 2006. No part of this to be reproduced without express written permission.
Carl Boardley was talking to Neil Rowe.
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Alan Connolly Racing with The Joey Dunlop Foundation
Words - Darren Black
Ballymoney National Hot Rod racer Alan Connolly will kick off his 2007 World Championship qualifying campaign with his newly refurbished ex-Neal Smith Peugeot 206, (pictured). The former Stock Rod World Champion will also bring another unique aspect to Northern Ireland oval racing, as he supports The Joey Dunlop Foundation. The foundation, set up in memory of fellow Ballymoney man and one of Ulster's favourite sons, Joey Dunlop MBE, OBE - five times F1 Motorcycling World Champion and a record 26 times Isle of Man TT winner - has already refurbished the TT Grandstand in Douglas, IoM, with excellent toilet facilities and lifts for disabled spectators. They hope, in the coming year leading up to the 100th anniversary of the Isle of Man TT races, to complete a number of chalets alongside the Mountain course to enable disabled fans, and also injured riders, to watch the TT action in comfort and with the necessary facilities.
Up until his untimely death in Estonia in 2000, Joey, the "King of the Roads", was renowned for his own charity work as well as his enormous ability on a racing motorcycle, and on many occasions thought nothing of heading off to Romania and other Eastern European nations with supplies for under privileged children.
Alan Connolly will donate all of his prize money in the coming season to the Joey Dunlop Foundation, and will gratefully receive any donations from the public at his transporter in the pit area during meetings.
Darren Black
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Grids: grins and gripes
by Garry Staines
One of the main talking points in the National Hot Rod forum this year has been the dislike of the current way of organising the grid line-ups. The majority of Rod fans would like a return to traditional grades or fastest starting at the back.
Whilst we get several drivers posting their thoughts in the forum, I thought I'd survey the rest of the English drivers on what their views of the current season have been. I also asked them if they would like to see any changes for the 2007 qualifing series.
At round 16, I spoke to twenty drivers: 2 14 31 41 59 61 67 85 115 141 170 198 271 278 291 303 491 639 734 and 911. In the past - whilst compiling the driver profiles and writing reports for this website - most drivers seemed very critical of the NHRPA and the way things were being run. But at round 16, the majority had a very positive view of the current Hot Rod scene.
Of the twenty drivers, eleven thought the current way was good. Nine were in favour of graded/average order starts. I found it interesting that the nine who did not like the 2006 system could all be described as veterans of the formula.
Several drivers thought that the 2006 system was set up to favour Carl (Boardley) and Malcolm (Blackman). But Carl and Malcolm were amongst the nine that did not like the current way. So that puts an end to that conspiracy theory.
Here is a selection of quotes from the drivers, I'll leave it to the readers to guess who said what...
‘Ive enjoyed it, but I'd like to see more fun meetings’
‘As a driver it's nice to get some starts near the front, but I understand it can be boring for the spectators’
‘Graded order is best, with top points of the day at the front for the final’
‘Drawn grids is the fairest way, Its good to race against different drivers’
‘Too many World Qualifiers, We should have twelve max, with two or three more open meetings’
‘I like the heats, but the finals unfair if your not in the top twenty’
‘More rounds at different tracks, how about Buxton or Bovingdon’
‘Excellent, my best ever season, never been run better’
‘Separation of grids superb, gives everyone a chance of a win’
‘I think its crap, certain drivers are running this sport, I'm quitting after the world final’
‘Grids are the least of my problems, let’s talk about the Blue Flag...’
‘I don't dislike it, the thing I want changing is the World final itself, it should be 100 laps’
‘How can you get fairer than a drawn grid?’
‘At the moment, it is a load of rubbish, we should go back to averages for the heats’
‘I dont really care, I just enjoy my racing’
‘Red book for all, not just 19 cars!’
‘Good year. The day is gone where you can win from the back’
‘I like it, it’s good to race alongside different drivers every time. I'm learning more by mixing with the star men’
‘S**t. There is no incentive if you are out of the top twenty. I liked the averages - even if I didn't trust the way they were worked out’
Those were the drivers thoughts. For me - I fear that the 2007 world qualifier series, will just continue on from 2006. I'd like to see a few changes.
I can understand that the drawn grids are fair, but it has resulted in some boring races for the fans. The gaps on the grids has seen less crashes, but I think they should be closed up a little, as a the top point scorers have no chance from half a lap back in the final. They have to change the finals: if you are out of the top twenty you have no chance of a result.
With more regular racers likely from Ireland/NI for 2007, is twenty English qualifiers too many? Maybe it’s time to re-think the whole system?
Garry Staines
***
Colin White’s return to National Hot Rod racing
nationalhotrod.com exclusive interview - by Steve Morris and Marlene Clarke
We managed to catch up with Colin White for a brief chat in Colin Gomm’s hospitality suite at Ringwood on Good Friday, in between races and Colin lending a hand to various drivers.
Colin revealed he has wanted to return to National Hot Rods for some time, but after his recent health scare this was put on hold. He was approached by David Haird to return at Wimbledon for the open meeting in February 2005. “I wanted to do this meeting as it would have helped develop and assess my race fitness for the season ahead. Sadly this didn't work out.”
During 2005 Colin did a few outlaw Hot Rod meetings, and also the SCSA series, he finally finished third in the SCSA championship that year. “I kept involved with the National Hot Rod scene through helping with the set-up on James Jamieson and Malcolm Clein’s cars” he revealed. He has also been actively trying to help with the setting up of a separate Scottish world qualifying series - “I would go there to race and support the series, whenever possible.”
A meeting was held between Colin and NHRPA chairman Roy Eaton at Rockingham during the October 2005 SCSA meeting, and a deal was almost struck for Colin's return. The outstanding problems have now been resolved and the wheels are set in motion for Colin to get his NHRPA licence for the 2006 season.
”As yet I’m undecided what car I will race. I still have the offer to use James Jamieson’s Corrado, and also I’ve been offered the use of my ex-world-winning Corrado by its current owner, Les Palmer, as well as cars from other drivers. I would, of course, like to build and develop an all-new car.”
Colin will, all being well, return to Nationals at Tipperary on 13/14th May, for the Irish GP meeting. “I hope to do as many meetings as possible but probably not World Qualifying rounds at present. However this will be reviewed after this year’s World Final.”
Colin’s plans for 2006 include the SCSA at Rockingham, and amongst other things he hopes to contest this year’s Nurburgring 24-hour race, driving Frank Nohring’s BMW M3. “This weekend (22/23 April) I’ll be in Germany doing a second 4-hour race, in preparation for the 24 hour event in June. I also hope to be able to attend the Thunder 500 that is on at Ipswich on the same weekend - this will depend on the 24-hour race starting on the Friday 16th June, going into the Saturday.” If the race begins on the Saturday, obviously this will not be possible.
At the end of the day, Colin is a committed and dedicated racer and National Hot Rods have always been his #1 racing passion, so nationalhotrod.com would like to welcome Colin back - and wish him and his team, all the best for his return to Nationals. Colin White was talking with Steve Morris and Marlene Clarke – who would like to thank Colin and Julie Gomm for the use of their hospitality suite.
Pit reaction at Ipswich on Easter Monday, to the news of Colin’s return to Nationals:
Malcolm Blackman #911: “Have got no problem, we get on fine, looking forward to racing with Colin”
Carl Boardley #41: “Colin’s return will be good for the formula”
Matt Simpson #303: “Another top-line driver returning has to be good for the sport. Looking forward to racing against Colin”
Former rival Jeff Simpson: “Any problems we had were sorted ages ago, he’s a top driver and his return will be good for the sport”
***
NEC 2006
It’s all over for another year. The people who came together from across National Hot Rod racing to make it all happen have been recognised and thanked already on this site - but once again, THANK YOU to everyone who financially backed the superb stand with which we were able to promote our sport at the NEC.
A number of further people were very generous with their time and effort over the weekend of January 14/15 as well, in many ways, shapes and forms. National Hot Rod racing would further like to add thanks to the following good folk:
Phil Spinks
for the time and work put into the design, manufacture and building of the stand itself.
Marlene Clarke
for taking the time and making the effort to organise a raffle to help finance proceedings - we’re pleased to announce that this raised a couple of pounds shy of £400 - well done. Prizewinners here later.
Kenny, Carol and Kelly Jay
for their great help in manning the stand and general support over the weekend.
Nick Thomas, Spedeworth EA, Karsten Beilschmidt, Dave Smith, Julie and Colin Gomm and their team
for the support, effort, time and general contribution they made.
Team Haird: Chris, Sarah, Chad and Slim
for all their work not only when the show was open, but also for their commitment in staying late Sunday night to dismantle the thing afterwards.
Ricky Hunn and Team Hunn Motorsport
for the lend of, and all the work that they put into, the new National.
Matt Simpson and Team Simpson Motorsport
for the lend of, and all the work that they put into, their National.
and most of all: David Haird
without whom it simply would not have happened at all, and Lesley, without whom David wouldn’t happen!
and a message from Marlene Clarke to all: “Just like to thank everyone who came to the Days Inn on Saturday night, and supported the raffle. Thanks to Kelly for selling the tickets, and to Dave Richardson and Barry Lee for compering the raffle draw. Many thanks to the donors of the prizes:- Days Inn, Spedeworth EA Ltd, David Haird, Mike Barry, Hoosier Tires, Just for Fun Leisurewear, Incarace, Colin Gomm, and JC Carpentry Services. Congratulations to the winners”.
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