The Spirit of Africa held in true Tzaneen spirit
The vehicles used were stock-standard and as one would buy them straight from the dealership, really proving their durability and versatility.
The South African final of the Spirit of Africa Amarok Challenge took place in Tzaneen from Friday last week through to Tuesday of this week.
A snake of 23 Volkswagen Amaroks took to Westfalia’s forestry areas to complete the four-day challenge, designed by South African rally legend Sarel van der Merwe.
The eleven times winner of the South African Rally Drivers Championship carefully selected a series of speed and technical stages to challenge the top 20 South African teams who had previously made it through the selection phases earlier in the year.
Initially, 500 teams entered from South Africa, from total novice 4×4 drivers through to those more experienced behind the wheel. The selection stages held in Zeerust whittled down the number of teams to a final top 20.
Those top twenty teams were invited to the final in Tzaneen to undertake a varied and challenging set of 24 stages set by Van der Merwe.
The stages, all set in the Westfalia plantations, included technical components where the drivers had to navigate through poles set narrowly apart on rough terrain. Marshals monitored the stages and should a vehicle touch a pole, points were deducted. The drivers had to move with precision to navigate and zig-zag through the poles, showing good control of the vehicle.
Read: Rallying: Madness or Magic?
Other stages that made for exhilarating spectating were the speed stages. Each vehicle in turn took on the short stretch, varying from approximately 500 metres to just shy of one kilometre. The drivers were against the clock and had to complete the stage as quickly as possible but without touching poles set out just inches from either side of the vehicle’s wing mirrors. Driving also needed to remain controlled however, and those deemed to be driving recklessly and without full control were penalised.
Of the 20 competing teams, the top two were selected to compete in the International final which takes place in Nelspruit in September. The top two teams were Jaacie and Natasha Visagie in first place winning R100, 000 in prize money and Theuns Otto and Michael Collett coming in second, securing them a R50, 000 cash prize. Third placed and receiving R30, 000 but not quite making it through to the finals were Benjamin Kotze and Jac Lambrechts.
The international driving competition sees ten countries compete in the challenge, namely: Australia, Botswana, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Namibia, Russia, South Africa, Sweden and Taiwan.
At the International final in Nelspruit, the top two teams from all ten countries will go head-to-head in order for the international champion to be crowned.
The competition is in its 14th year of operation and has made use of VW Amaroks since 2010, “The Amarok is in a class of its own. They are so capable, they can go anywhere,” says Van der Merwe.
The vehicles used were stock-standard and as one would buy them straight from the dealership, really proving their durability and versatility.
