Van Vuuren victorious in season finale
You cannot deny the outright passion that Benonian Deon van Vuuren has for motorcars and for racing.
When the City Times visited his Rynfield residence, it was clear that this is a man who knows a thing or two about engines and driving.
Framed photographs of his current and former rides adorn his garage walls, while an impressive and countless collection of trophies greet you as you enter his home.
“Racing is good, buddy,” he told sports journalist Logan Green.
“I will race until the day I die.”
The 57-year-old businessman notched up a major achievement on December 2 when he won the Motorsport South Africa (MSA) approved Midas Historic Saloon Car Championship in the competitive F-Class by a mere two points in the final race of the regional championship at Kyalami in his Ford Escort Mk 1.
He has been competing and racing since 2009 and, after numerous runner-up and third-place finishes, he finally secured the championship after 14 heats (seven events) of racing this year (nine victories, four second places and one third position).
“I was finishing second and thirds forever and a day, so it feels great to finish top of the podium this season.”
Van Vuuren, a born and bred Benonian, said that he couldn’t have done it without his backup crew.
He praised his wife and race manager Karin for all her efforts behind the scenes, and expressed gratitude to race mechanic Ian Rayner of Rayspeed for his hard work in getting the car to function at top level.
“The championship came down to the wire,” he said.
“In the first heat of the last race the car broke down and we had carburettor problems.
“We had to change the carburettor to get it going again for the final heat.
“A special thank you goes to my Rayspeed teammate Frank Davis for letting me use his carburettor for the last heat to get my car going again.”
The wise driver proved that experience often outweighs youthful exuberance by coming out tops over some of the younger competitors.
Van Vuuren said his championship victory still hasn’t sunk in.
“This is what we race for.
“It has taken a long time to achieve.
“There have been a lot of problems, accidents and breakages over the years, so it feels great to get the big win.
“Next year it all starts again.”
He expressed gratitude to his sponsors for the season, SupaQuick Brentwood Park and Veridex.
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