Basil van Rooyen GTA

Railway

Re: Basil van Rooyen GTA

Post by Railway » Tue 11 Mar 2008, 19:55

Gunter wrote: Hi Railway....interesting info about 'uncle Ian' i never knew he drove a 3800 Chev,heard stories that Ben Morgenrood drove a 4100....if you pics of Ian or Ben's car could you mail it or put it up on the site. It is especially interesting as i have a LHD 4100 chev 2 door coupe...its such a pretty car,got a 383 Chev V8 in it....


Yes was a 3800 not a 4100 if I remember correctly. Speaking of the Morgenrood 4100. I tell you where I saw it. At Kyalami on one of those 3 1980 Army pass visits there. My last sight of the car he was moving the car on the bottom side of the old Kyalami pits I can still see him manouver the car through what was like our scrutineering bay type exit. Sort of there up top just below the main straight. It had like an upswept effort on the edge of the boot. Almost sure it was yellow. Wonder if any of you guys know what this Rotary guru had before the 4100 Chev ?

Yes he raced Chev's too. He had the 1973 Modified Production saloon championship winning Chevrolet from which he progressed to the 4100. Who knows what it was or who's car it was ?

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Re: Basil van Rooyen GTA

Post by Gunter » Tue 11 Mar 2008, 20:01

Abie Drotschie
RACECAR spelt backwards spells RACECAR.....

Railway

Re: Basil van Rooyen GTA

Post by Railway » Tue 11 Mar 2008, 20:05

Gunter wrote: Abie Drotschie


Naah, that was your mentor we used to see him at Goodwood those days !

The late Bob Thomas's Firenza SL coupe Ben raced which he and some other chap rolled at a 9 hour in the 70's could have been about 1977 or so. Everyone rants about the V8's and nobody seems to remember that the 4 cylinder's won both the Rally and Circuit championships in 1973. Plus the Roof of Africa from start to finnish !

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Re: Basil van Rooyen GTA

Post by Gunter » Tue 11 Mar 2008, 20:13

sorry for the confusion...i was replying to the previous message from Hi Fi (asking who was my dad)...didn't know Ben drove a Firenza before the 4100 Chev,but as i said in another message i posted.....i thought i knew alot,but you boys will all your knowledge about motorsport history make me look stupid!
RACECAR spelt backwards spells RACECAR.....

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Re: Basil van Rooyen GTA

Post by Killarney Racer » Tue 11 Mar 2008, 22:45

Hi Fi - I think it is Peter Little who is the motoring editor of the Tygerburger. Not sure if he is related to Ian.

There was a black Opel Rekord with very wide gold front wheels that raced in club races at Killarney driven by Rainer and some unpronoucable Czech type name. He never did much tho'.

Remember Bob and Rob Thomas (pa and son) who drove really quick Vauxhall Viva's in Wesbank Modifides?

Goodwood heydays - V8 went around anti-clockwise and 4 cylinder went clockwise. The joke one event was when Francois Holiday in at standard Datsun 1600 SSS with slightly widened rims started as the pace car for the V8's with the flagman hanging out of the window. Now there were some serious pieces of machinery in this pack setting some seriously quick times. This was the cream of Goodwood.

So Holiday starts and the flag goes down but the SSS stayed on the track ahead of this growling pack. And so it remained until the second last lap when he had to pull in so the flagman could drop the winners flag. This little Datsun simply cleaned up the field. How embarrasing!!

Railway

Re: Basil van Rooyen GTA

Post by Railway » Tue 11 Mar 2008, 23:19

Not sure if Ian and Peter Little are related. Peter Little was still racing one of those Sevens. Ian Little I image has been with GM since those days at various dearships last was in Parow Hunts or Reeds not sure.

Those Goodwood Oval days we saw some strange moments like you mention. On one night also a pace car with flagman hanging out the window they sort of did a handbrake turn on the infield when they pulled off. But somehow the wheels seemed to dig in and the thing ended up almost falling over much to the crowds delight. There were really some onbeskofte nights there. Who was that one oke with a blue Fairlane or something that big that charged across the field to take some other out ? That revenge thing went on for a few meetings. Then there was Hambly with that big 57 Chev that used to use the concrete wall to keep him from spinning around on the corners. Or the Victor's from PE that had "Jesus Saves" on their cars in huge lettering. But they had this real thick armour plated car that used to "lean" on oponents and virtually crush them against the barriers. The thing was small but HEAVY with huge tractor type tyres almost that it would drift right across the race line through the bends.

I suppose there are many horror stories to be told about the cars that were wrecked there. PLENTY Monaro-SS's. Literally by the dozen. Full road cars that within a Saturday afternoon were gutted and welded up pipes for protection, Imagine all those fittings, glass, badges and trims ?

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Re: Basil van Rooyen GTA

Post by Hi-Fi » Wed 12 Mar 2008, 00:59

KR, I'm sure you are refering to Jack Holoway who was the clerk of the course cum stunt driver. I remember that little beige Datsun SSS killing the field with the starter, the late Cecil Barata hanging out of the window, flag in hand.

What wonderful evenings we had drinking coffee mixed from a thermos with a strong dop of brandy, "to keep the cold out"!

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Re: Basil van Rooyen GTA

Post by Hi-Fi » Wed 12 Mar 2008, 01:17

Frankly, what the hell this has to do with the Van Rooyen Alfa GTA, I don't know! :D

The GTA was a stop gap for the GTAM. Wouldn't it be nice to see a GTAM on the track today?

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Re: Basil van Rooyen GTA

Post by Gunter » Wed 12 Mar 2008, 07:33

RAILWAY, the guy you are talking about who cut across the field to take someone out is Doep du Plessis....a crazy Oom! Just to add something to his legendary status,he moved to Springbok many years ago.... a few years ago my dad went on a caravan tour and while buying some suppliments in Springbok on the cafe counter was there local newspaper with the front page story being about a certain Mr Doep du Plessis who chased down the clerk of the course with his stockcar after being given a black flag at the local oval track!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
RACECAR spelt backwards spells RACECAR.....

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Re: Basil van Rooyen GTA

Post by Hi-Fi » Wed 12 Mar 2008, 08:10

I remember him very well. There was another guy from Paarl by the name of Louis Borrel-Saladin who also gave good account of himself. Of course, this is where Deon De Waal got going too. Nobody could touch him!

Those guys must have used up all the old American cars lying around Cape Town in those days!

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