Shell V-Power rally thrills at Tsumeb

While it was not a particularly hard or technical race, spectators got exactly what they came for in the third leg of the national rally championships at Tsumeb this past weekend.

Of the initial 12 entries, only two failed to cross the finish line due to technical and mechanical problems.

Overall, the rally was well organised, and the routes served their purpose by ensuring teams followed the pace notes – used by navigators to guide drivers safely through the stages.

Derek Jacobs from the Namibia Motor Sport Federation (NMSF) says the Shell V-Power Tsumeb Rally was brains over power, requiring strategic thinking.

The first car left for the opening stage at exactly 10h00, followed by others at three-minute intervals.

Unlike last year, the first stage near the airport was lush with overgrown grass thanks to good rains, giving a hint of what was to come.

The tall grass added a different dynamic to the rally, with teams frequently having to clean the front and undercarriages to prevent dry grass and seeds from gathering and posing potential fire hazards.

Fortunately, no such incidents were reported.

The race was tight at times, often with only seconds separating competitors.

Allan Martin and Maretha Olivier’s team in the R5 Skoda (S4) kept close competition against Marko Himmel and Francois Schoonbee’s Toyota Etios (S1), finishing just two minutes apart after nine demanding stages.

Ekko Eisenberg and Horazio ‘Rassie’ Rietz in the JAC T8 V8 and SJ Schoeman versus Chane Havenga in a Toyota Hilux 2.8 also battled closely, with times of 1:13:18 and 1:14:51, respectively – both in the CR 1 class.

The crowd was on its feet during the sixth stage as Eisenberg and Werner Bartsch, with navigator Christel Fourie, closing in rapidly for victory.

Bartsch told Top Revs at the service park that he lost valuable time after their Land Rover V8 Defender developed serious mechanical problems, forcing the vehicle to limp on only four cylinders.

His technical crew managed to repair the fault, allowing them to continue the race with all eight cylinders.

Another setback occurred when Paul Ackerman and Walter Kinnear’s Sandmaster suffered technical problems in stage six, costing them valuable time that could have improved their final position.

Martin describes the rally as tough, comparing it to the Tara earlier this year.

“I thought the Tara was tough, but this one had a different challenge due to the grass, unmarked roads, and fast pace,” he says.

Rietz echoes Martin’s views, describing the Tsumeb rally as the toughest in the past three years.

Tsumeb Motor Club chairperson Jaco Haasbroek commends the participating teams and thanks sponsors Shell V-Power, M+Z Motors, Powerline Africa, Van Dyk Petroleum and the Minen Hotel for supporting the sport.

The Minen Hotel also served as the rally headquarters, coordinating marshals, officials, and stewards.

Results:

Sedan Class (S-class)

S1: First Marko Himmel and Francois Schoonbee; second Pieter Greef and JP Robinson

S2: First Wido Bartsch and Raymond Fourie; second Zachary Martin and Anique Schoeman

S4: First Allan Martin and Maretha Olivier; second Stefanie Botha and Mandi Landsberg (Subaru Impreza)

Super Rally Class S1: Gerhardus Visser and Geraldine Swart

CR Class

CR1: First Ekko Eisenberg and Horazio Rietz; second SJ Schoeman and Chane Havenga

CR2: First Paul Ackerman and Walter Kinnear; second Werner Bartsch and Christel Fourie

The fourth leg is scheduled for the end of August at Grootfontein.

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