From racing for fun to professional driver
Huddy has lived in Bedfordview for 41 years and owns his own company in Islando called HUD Mining Supplies.
David Huddy began racing in 2014 as a way to unwind and have fun, which later turned into a passion and led him, along with his team, in becoming the winners of the Class S V6 in the South African Cross Country Series (SACCS) 2018 on November 3.
Huddy has lived in Bedfordview for 41 years and owns his own company in Isando.
Huddy is good friends with driver Buks Carolin, a South African Springbok Cross Country racer and the first South African to partake in the original Paris Dakar Rally in 1998.
Although Huddy has been following racing his whole life, Carolin gave him the extra push he needed to become a professional racer.
“We bought the Nissan Navara two years ago from a racer. It is one of the original Nissan Navaras that was raced by Giniel de Villers and Hannes Grobler and is the only one left in South Africa that was built and designed by Nissan Motorsport,” said Huddy.
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Huddy said that South African racer Giniel de Villiers won Dakar five years ago in the same Nissan Nivara that he now drives.
“We raced the Nissan Navara in the SACCS Nationals two years ago. Previously we raced our Class E Nissan Hardbody NP300 in the Northern Regions Series of SACCS December 2014 to December 2016,” said Huddy.
SACCS is split between production vehicles and special vehicles. Huddy drives a production vehicle in Class S V6.
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Huddy won the Class S championship with navigator Gerhard Schutte whom he could not have done without.
“Gerhard has been my navigator for the last two years since I upgraded to Nationals. Gerhard navigated for another driver in the 2018 Dakar where Gerhard, along with his driver, won the Rookie of the Year Award,” said Huddy.
For Huddy, racing in SACCS is a team effort, as Gerhard is along for the ride navigating.
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HUD Racing is a team with two vehicles, one for Class S and one for Class E, for the Northern regions.
Huddy is part of an overall support team who does preparation of the vehicles and also assist with any repairs.
Rodney Cook and Jaco Schutte race the Class E Nissan Hardbody NP300 in Class E of the Northern regions for HUD Racing.
“We work well together. They are reliable with preparation and have attention to detail, they are much like a pit crew.”
HUD racing is sponsored by HUD Mining Supplies, Fuchs Lubricants SA, Pirelli Tyres and Brand Me T.
“It feels great to win. I have been trying to win for the last two years, trying to get the Nissan Nivara to where it once was as well,” said Huddy.
Huddy said that the SACCS Championships consist of six to seven races.
“The Toyota 1000 was the most difficult; it is 1 000km over two days. It becomes very tolling, especially on navigating,” said Huddy.
Huddy and Schutte ended up 10th overall in the production series and placed the highest in Nissan of the Year.
Huddy said that when it comes to being a good driver you need to know your vehicle’s capabilities.
“You need to know your terrain as well and realise when to push forward and when not to. You also need to have physical and mental stamina,” said Huddy.
Listening to a navigator and making sure you have a good navigator for Huddy is also a key to being a good driver.
When it comes to training Huddy focuses on vehicle testing and stays physically fit where he can.
“Getting to where we got has been a huge achievement. We want to defend our championship next year,” said Huddy.
However, Huddy always remembers that he does racing for the love of it and for the camaraderie.
You can find HUD Racing on Facebook @hudracing14 and on Instagram @HudRacing.
