Passion on four wheels
FOURWAYS - Racing enthusiast, car dealer and off-road competitor, Richard Fuller lives and breathes motorsport.
Richard Fuller comes from motor-racing stock, but his first taste of motorsport came relatively late in life. At 19, Fuller experienced go-karting at a social indoor event, and he was hooked. Not long after, he bought his own go-kart, and his life-long involvement with competitive racing began.
After some years spent go-karting, Fuller moved onto on-road racing, before being introduced to the dirt, sweat and excitement of off-roading. In 2011, he was the first rookie to win an overall event at the Sun City 400, a flat-out, long-course race during which vehicles reach speeds of 180km/h over rough, dusty terrain.
Now Fuller owns RSC Auto, catering to demands from mid-range to top-end vehicles, including imported American brands. And, when he is not fulfilling his customers’ needs, he continues to compete in off-road events.
Fuller’s passion for this tough, adrenaline-fuelled sport is transparent. “I love the unknown,” he said. “Every corner presents something different.” The unpredictability of off-road courses – with the ever-present potential for nasty encounters with trees, boulders or gullies – can make on-road racing seem positively monotonous.
Fuller describes rally events as “tests of mechanical strength”. Challenging terrain and endurance-based courses push cars and drivers alike to the limit, and a successful performance comes down to more than the person behind the wheel. Vehicle preparation, strong navigation, and clear communication between driver and navigator are all essential factors, he said.
This year, Fuller and his team are competing in the Donaldson Cross Country Championship in the premier class for the first time. It has been a steep learning curve. After three events dominated by accidents – including one dramatic occasion on which his vehicle rolled – Fuller is treating 2014 as a training year. “We’ve showed good pace but we haven’t converted it to any results,” he said. Back at Sun City for the Championship’s next event in August, however, Fuller and his team will make the most of the opportunity to hone their racing edge in this most exhilarating of motorsport disciplines.
