Remembering passionate rally driver Jaco van Dyk

The motorsport fraternity was left in shock this past weekend after the death of well-known motorsport fanatic Jaco van Dyk, who lost his life in a vehicle accident.

Van Dyk (52) was larger than life among the motorsport fraternity, and will be remembered for his passion and dedication in his motorsport career.

Michael Rust, his trusted navigator and friend for many years, tells Top Revs he landed in Van Dyk’s navigator seat by default, but not without a twist and a bit of controversy.

Rust was assistant clerk of the course (CoC) on a Tara rally when Van Dyk transgressed rally rules by helping a fellow team cross the finish line. This cost him his title, and as assistant CoC, it was Rust’s duty to disqualify him from the title.

This is how many will remember Van Dyk, always willing to help others, even when to his own disadvantage.

Rust became his navigator soon after this encounter, and the rest, as they say, is history.

“He told me in the beginning it is only because he knows what he is doing and knows the books (rules), and that is how we started to be a team,” Rust says.

Van Dyk was a driver who planned ahead once he saw the route during a “recce run”, alerting his driver to be on the look out for stones and other obstructions on the road. Although he was a friendly person outside the car, inside, he was different – extrememly competitive, as required to win a rally, Rust says.

The duo was always a crowd puller during their rally racing days with the famous red Land Cruiser named “Ietsie Klein” (something small) and later the Nissan Navara that gave fellow drivers in their class a competitive edge.

They also qualified to take part in the Dakar Rally. Sadly, the dream ended when Van Dyk was involved in an aircraft accident that left him seriously injured and needing medical interventions.

But this did not keep him from the tracks and, often with much difficulty, he still took part in motorsport.

Van Dyk’s son, “Chucky”, is a regular on the karting tracks and races in the senior max karting class with his father, in most cases, on the sidelines supporting him. His support stretched much further than that of his own children, as extended family members say they received the same treatment.

In remembrance of Van Dyk’s legacy, friends, fellow motorsport enthusiasts and supporters gathered at respective racing facilities for a moment of silence in tribute to Van Dyk and his legacy.

His legacy is not only cemented in motorsport but soccer, as tributes poured in from Julinho Athletic Football Club at Rundu.

Derek Jacobs from the Namibia Motorsport Federation added his voice on behalf of the federation.

“Van Dyk’s presence on and off the tracks will be missed as another racer reached the finishing line with the checkered flag indicating he completed the race of life.”

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