Time to have some fun!
My year so far in the South African National Rally Championship has taught me so much more than circuit racing did when it comes to the mental toughness one needs in this sport
I thought I had this rally thing figured out. I have a brilliant car under me in the Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa Toyota GR Yaris. And I was finishing and picking up points.
But at the GR Legends Rally it started to change. I was pushing and had good pace. I was within sight of the finish line and second place. For this rookie this would have been a brilliant finish.
But then I made one mistake. My only one for the entire weekend. I mis-shifted and hurt our car and this put an immediate end to my chances in this rally.
I picked myself up and went in the INGCO Ermelo Rally with a much more conservative strategy because as a team we really wanted to put this one in the bag.
This meant I was way off the pace of the front runners, but I was okay with this, because my plan was to just get through Day 1 and then up the pace and enjoy Day 2.
But this time fate saw a broken side-shaft end our rally deep into the second day. No points. No nothing. I left Ermelo with more questions than answers.
So, ask me what my master plan is for Round 6 and 7 at this weekend’s Algoa National Rally in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth). To be completely honest, I haven’t a clue.
The Algoa National Rally is one of the most iconic rallies on the calendar and includes a full day of rally out in the infamous Longmore Forest. Longmore might offer up flowing, hard, fast, gravel, but there are trees on either side of the road, and if a tree doesn’t slow you down, a dive off the side of the mountain certainly will.
But I have now learnt that anything can happen in rally regardless of what you do. So maybe the best plan is to just go have some fun and what will be, will be.
