Tara Rally kicks off tonight at Tony Rust …setting the stage for an adrenaline-filled weekend

Tara Rally kicks off tonight at Tony Rust …setting the stage for an adrenaline-filled weekend

Namibia’s most iconic motorsport event, the oldest known rally in Africa and perhaps the toughest rally on the continent, kicks off tonight at Windhoek’s Tony Rust track. The year’s event, which has secured major corporate backing from Shell V-Power and JAC Motors as the headline partners, has attracted 17 entries to set the stage for an adrenaline-filled racing weekend. 

“The Tara Rally’s legacy has been built over generations where fathers, sons, daughters and friends have competed and we know this will continue for many years to come,” said Richard Slamet, Dealer Principle at M&Z Motors. At the launch of the rally this week Slamet thanked the organisers, the medical team, all the officials and race marshals for ensuring the safety and well-being of all competitors and spectators and in guaranteeing everything runs smoothly and according to plan. 

Slamet specifically pointed out the organizing committee, admitting that their “tireless dedication and behind-the-scenes work is the backbone for this annual event”. 

On the sidelines of this week’s launch, navigator for the M&Z Motors team, Horazio “Rassie” Rietz, commented on what to expect: “We don’t anticipate any mechanical challenges because at the end of the day if we have any mechanical issues will affect our rally. For us, it’s a win if we can start and finish this rally. Not necessarily the trophy or a podium finish but just to finish the rally is the end-goal. The goal is just to get the car back home and this is where the Tara has always been tough. This rally is extremely tough on the driver, the navigator and the car”. 

Rietz elaborated that the rally driver drives blind with the navigator charged with being the eyes for the driver. “I as the navigator need to be extremely focused. I need to give the calls, turn-by-turn, dip-by-dip and jump-by-jump and if I don’t do that then that’s where accidents happen,” Rietz added. 

In terms of what to expect on this year’s Tara Rally route, Rietz noted that the route terrain received ample rain that has washed away many roads and eroded many areas of the course. This has resulted in a more challenging than usual event. 

“This bakkie is not a 4X4, so we will need to be very careful. We will need to be on the juice where needed and off the juice where needed. Ultimately, if you get stuck during the race, then there is no outside assistance. We will have to get out and we will have to find a way to get this two-and-a-half ton bakkie out of a ditch. I don’t know if we will get stuck but if we do, then we will have to find a way,” said Rietz. 

The Tara originated in the 1960s and is now in its 55th year. The event used to be part of the African Rally Championship which attracted interest from around the globe. 

Providing some background of the Tara Rally, Derek Jacobs of the Namibia Motor Sports Federation said: “This has always been a bucket list rally. It’s a must-do for many of the regions and the continent’s top drivers.” He added that the reason the Tara Rally runs over three days is because it is the biggest rally on the Namibian motorsports calendar. 

In terms of rally rules, different classes of vehicles ensure a level playing field. These classes consist of the S and CR classes that indicate sedan or challenge (bakkie) classes. The S1 class allows cars with an engine capacity of up to 1600cc, S2 are sedans with an engine capacity of 1601 to 2000cc engines, S3 class is cars with engines with 2001 to 3000cc, while S4 is fitted with 3l engines and above. Additional factors also determine the class category, such as if a vehicle uses a turbo or a rotary engine. The CR class consists only of two classes, namely the CR 1 and 2. CR1 and CR2 refer to 2×4 and 4×4 vehicles, respectively.