No other SA Off Road Car Racing Champion, other than Bruce ‘Buks’ Carolin can boast of winning multiple national championships as a driver and co-driver.
Carolin (50) started racing in a VW Baja Bug in 1983 as co-driver for Ken Skjoldhammer but it was only in 1989 that he won the Special Vehicle Drivers Championship in a Raceco Mazda. He followed up this success with back-to-back Drivers Championship wins in 1990 and 1991 with partner Ken Skjoldhammer who won the Co-drivers Championship.
In 1994 he won the Special Vehicle Co-drivers Championship for the first time and then six years later he won the co-drivers title again when he shared the Cornbake Foods Raceco with newcomer Shameer Variawa. This year he joined Atang Makgekgenene in the cockpit of the Total Jimco with effect from the Toyota 1000 Desert Race and helped the Motswana to three overall victories and the Special Vehicle Drivers Championship.
“Winning three Drivers and three Co-drivers titles is a feat that will be difficult to match,” said Carolin. “My role as a co-driver has seen me act as mentor to some really talented drivers and I believe that my input gained from my many years behind the wheel of a race car has helped them immensely.”
“The short time I have spent with Atang in the Total Jimco has been an eye-opener in terms of his driving ability, the level of preparation and the sheer speed of the Total Jimco is light years ahead of what I drove in 1989,” added Carolin. There have been times that I have been frightened in the cockpit but Atang is extremely conscientious and respects my instructions to slow down or speed up implicitly.”
“Jayce Singh does an unbelievable job of preparing the Total Jimco and the fact that we have not had a single mechanical problem this season is proof of his attention to detail and his dedication.”
Despite having won the Special Vehicle Drivers and Co-drivers Championship at the Toyota Dealer 400 Atang Makgekgenene and Buks Carolin aim to give it all they’ve got on the Carnival City 400 (November 19 and 20) and walk away with another overall win.
