The 2017 edition of the VW rally saw some major budget cuts, but was still a lot of fun. This year I got to drive around with Essie and Dave – both previous winners of the VW rally – in Car Zero.
Car ZERO is the vehicle that flies through the course just before competitors go into the stage. We ensure the track is clear and go along at high speed making a lot of noise. This was my first time as car zero, but I hope I get to do it again some time soon.
We got to drive around in an Amarok, and after disabling the ABS and the traction control and a few other advanced features, Dave was able to put the vehicle through some amazing turns. Stages ranged from in the Longmore forrest – gravel roads with hairpin bends and near-vertical drops to the tar roads around the BayWest Mall.
The first stage was in Jagsvlaktes just outside Uitenhage, so the start was to meet up at the VW pavillion and install the radios (in car 0 and several others like car 00, marshal, cleark of the course).
Those who know me will know I am not a major driver. I have a licence, but tend to be conservative and drive safely. I had no idea an Amarok had such a small turning circle!
One of the nicest things about car zero is that you get to see the track. Most of the time I get allocated to a start or end point and have to send through vehicle numbers and times. Here I got to see the stages – all the stages – and only had to report important information or to declare the stage open. No need to make notes – a BIG plus for me.
On a side note, it was sad to see the devistation of the forrest area during the recent fires. Mile after mile of burnt bush, black sticks in the sand. Very sad. I look forward to it being a lot greener next year!