Coastal rally drivers geared up

Rudi Bowe

Walvis Bay Motor Club and coastal drivers are geared for the 7th Swakopmund Rally and round two of the Namibian Rally Championship at the coastal town of Swakopmund.

The V-Power Swakop Rally with a total distance of 201.74 kilometers will start tomorrow, 16 March at 10:00 from Ocean View Shell Service Station and will end roundabout 16:02 at the parking lot of the Paintball Centre at the coastal town.
The first Swakopmund rally was held every year from 2010 with the exception of 2012, 2015 and 2018. Allan Martin and navigator Maretha Olivier with their Volkswagen Polo S2000 are the defending champions as they won in 2017 and 2016 respectively. They ended third in 2014 and second in 2013.
With the tyres barely cooled down from the Circuit Racing Championship last weekend in Windhoek the team is geared up for this weekend’s Swakopmund rally, which will possibly see Allan piloting his ever popular VW Polo S2000 for the last time as he has acquired an exciting new car.
Allan who came second overall at the first round of the Namibian Rally Championship in Gobabis early in the year is geared up for the second round and would like to make use of home advantage to make it a hat-trick at the Swakopmund rally.
Zachary who ended third overall in Gobabis will be as determined as ever to take another class win in his trusty S1600 Golf MK1 and with being on home soil he will give it his all.
For Jacques / Roche, Rolf / Katja, Freddie / De Wet, Wido / Patrick and Jan Everson with his navigator all from the coast are also ready to contest for a place on the podium come Saturday Jaco Redelinghuys/Dries Booysen the overall winner at the Gobabis rally are also contesting for an overall place on the podium at the coast.
The entries are;

1. Allan / Maretha
2. Zac / Michael
3. Jaco / Dries
4. Jacques / Roche
5. Wilro / Riaan
6. Johan / Herman
7. Rolf / Katja
8. Ettiene / Willy
9. Welmie / Rene
10. Freddie / De Wet
11. Isai / Hilariu
12. Wido / Patrick
    BEST SPECTATOR SPOTS
    Stage 1 – Martin Luther:
    First car due at 10:11
    Proceed from Ocean View Shell Service Station to Steckels Toyota into the roundabout and exit on the B2 towards Windhoek. Drive to the Martin Luther steam engine and park in the designated parking area. Stage can be viewed from various places. Please do not park next to the main road.
    Stage 2 – Airport:
    First car due at 10:28
    Proceed from Martin Luther on the B2 towards Windhoek. The stage can be viewed from the main road (B2) at various places. Best and safest spectator viewing point for this stage is opposite the Swakopmund Plotte area. Please do not park next to the main road.
    Stage 3 – Rossmund:
    First car due at 10:39
    No spectator points available on this stage.
    Stage 4 – Pipeline:
    First car due at 11:52
    No spectator points available on this stage.
    Stage 5 – Daggabos:
    First car due at 12:15
    Best spectator viewing point for this stage is next to the Henties Bay Road (C34) opposite the new residential block developments.
    Stage 6 – Trans Namib Lead:
    First car due at13:23
    Proceed on the B2 towards Windhoek. The stage can be viewed from the main road (B2) at various places. Best and safest spectator viewing point for this stage is opposite the Swakopmund Plotte area.
    Stage 7 – Salt Pans:
    First car due at 14:56
    Proceed to the last turn off on the C34 (towards Henties Bay).
    Turn left on the tar road and proceed past the School to the parking area on the opposite side of the housing development. Park at the designated parking area as the entire stage can be seen from this location.
    Stage 8 – MX:
    First car due at 15:18
    Same as Stage 4 but in the opposite direction.
    Stage 9 – Martin Luther:
    First car due at 15:46
    Same as Stage 1
    Please ensure that your car is parked away from the road surface of the main road at all the spectator spots.
    A special thanks to the following sponsors for their contribution to make the V-Power Swakopmund Rally a success:
    V-Power, Mr. Nardo Sardinha, Compass Walvis Bay, De Duine Hotel Henties Bay, Seal Consulting Engineers, Puma JD Service Station, Ocean View Shell, Sky-Way, VIVO Energy, Steckel’s Toyota, Star Body Works, Namib Diesel, Safe Wear Namibia, West Coast Aluminium and Glass, J&P Hydraulics cc Racing, Namibia Motor Sport Federation, Windhoek Motor Club and Walvis Bay Motor Club.