Two of Sasol’s Steam Team tracks racing stars, Phillip Kekana and Johan Fourie, have been nominated for the prestigious 2002 Bridgestone/Firestone South African Motor Sportsman of the Year Award, a project of the South African Guild of Motoring Journalists (SAGMJ). –
– Fellow, and now retired, DualFuel-backed ace, Sarel van der Merwe, is also one of the candidates for the Colin Watling Award for Meritorious Service to motorsport in this country. Van der Merwe recently “abdicated” his many racing crowns after 35 years of circuit and rallying competition, to concentrate on developing the careers of the likes of Fourie under his team banner, Supervan Racing. –
– Thirty six year-old Kekana, often bemused about the “urban legend” that he still drives funeral hearses in his spare time (he is in fact a professional advanced driving instructor), took the Class D Championship laurels in the 2002 SA Production Car Championship, seven years after becoming the first Black racer in this extremely tough series and against stiff opposition from semi-works teams. –
– “It was for me the biggest dream come true and a thrill to be able to reward the many companies, Sasol and Toyota in particular, and people, who have believed in and supported me over the years. I thank the Guild for their acknowledgement too”, said Kekana whose son, Thapelo, has given him further reason to smile after being included in the official Mercedes Benz Junior Karting team, racing in the Mini Max class of the Rotax Max Challenge series. –
– Cape Town’s Fourie, at a mere 23 years of age, has shown the local motorsport world that he has the mental and driving capacity to emulate his mentor, van der Merwe. –
– After achieving national title honours in Karting, Sasol Formula Ford (Kent and Zetec classes) and SASCAR, he last year blitzed the opposition to claim the WesBank Samcar and SA Drivers Championships in his Sasol DualFuel Astra. –
– “When you have the technical and moral support backing that I have had since I was young (er), it makes competing and winning a touch easier and more rewarding for all. This year (2003) we’ll be out to do more of the same with Sarel’s team and Sasol in WesBank V8’s”, commented Fourie. –
– Both Kekana and Fourie will, amongst others soon to be announced, be racing under the “true blue” Sasol DualFuel banner in 2003. Kekana will be switching categories. –
– The other nominees for the Bridgestone/Firestone award are: Russell Wood (Superbikes), Claudio Piazza-Musso (karting), Tschops Sipuka (Engen Volkswagen Cup), Alfie Cox (off-road motorcycles – Dakar Rally) and Johnny Gemmell and Robert Paisley (2002 FIA Africa Rally Championship winners). –
– The prize-giving ceremony will be held in Johannesburg on Thursday 13 March. –
– For portrait photographic of Kekana, Fourie and van der Merwe go to www.motorpics.co.za and click on “people”. For all the latest news on the Sasol Steam Team go to www.sasolmotorsport.co.za